Causes of medication errors and methods to reduce errors
Causes of medication errors and methods to reduce errors Nurses have an ethical and legal responsibility to assess a patient’s need for a drug, administer it safely and correctly and evaluate the response to it. They should always make patient safety a priority because patients rely on the nurse’s skills, knowledge and professionalism.
Nurses have a critical role in administering medications to the patients by following the six rights of drug administration. These six rights are: Right medication, Right route, Right time, Right patient, Right dosage, and Right documentation. If any of these one rights is not used properly, it can cause medication error. Causes of medication errors are related to demanding work environment, complex and poorly organized systems, and drug calculation errors, proliferation of new drugs, confusing abbreviations, and similar drug names. Other causes are complex orders and poor doctor handwriting, personal neglect, new staff, unfamiliarity with medications and patients.
Drug administration errors can be prevented if nurses follow the right procedures. Nurses should check the patient wristband for identification and ask the patient to state their full name. Nurses should always make sure if patient has any allergies to the medication prescribed and must notify the physician of any unknown allergies. Nurses should make sure that they give the right medicine to the right patient at the right time and be aware of any drug-drug or drug-food interactions. Nurses should read the label of the medication carefully as there are many similar drug names like sulfadiazine/sulfasalazine, chlorphenamine/chlorpromazine, repevax/revaxis, dopixol/clopixol and many more other similar drug names. Nurses should read the medication label carefully. They should know the reason why the patient is receiving the prescribed medication and to observe for the desired medication action or any side effects after the
Nurses have a critical role in administering medications to the patients by following the six rights of drug administration. These six rights are: Right medication, Right route, Right time, Right patient, Right dosage, and Right documentation. If any of these one rights is not used properly, it can cause medication error. Causes of medication errors are related to demanding work environment, complex and poorly organized systems, and drug calculation errors, proliferation of new drugs, confusing abbreviations, and similar drug names. Other causes are complex orders and poor doctor handwriting, personal neglect, new staff, unfamiliarity with medications and patients.
Drug administration errors can be prevented if nurses follow the right procedures. Nurses should check the patient wristband for identification and ask the patient to state their full name. Nurses should always make sure if patient has any allergies to the medication prescribed and must notify the physician of any unknown allergies. Nurses should make sure that they give the right medicine to the right patient at the right time and be aware of any drug-drug or drug-food interactions. Nurses should read the label of the medication carefully as there are many similar drug names like sulfadiazine/sulfasalazine, chlorphenamine/chlorpromazine, repevax/revaxis, dopixol/clopixol and many more other similar drug names. Nurses should read the medication label carefully. They should know the reason why the patient is receiving the prescribed medication and to observe for the desired medication action or any side effects after the
References: Tully, M.P. (2012, May 3). Prescribing errors in hospital practice. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=884cb1ff-c5d4-45bf-950a-1bbf74264259%40sessionmgr110&vid=2&hid=119 Unver, V., Tastan, S., & Akbayrak, N. (2012). Medication errors: Perspectives of newly graduated and experienced nurses. International of Nursing Practice, 16(4), 317-324. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=64fac21d-25c0-44e0-b7e0-6f8eec396f06%40sessionmgr113&vid=2&hid=119 Garner, S. (2012). Medicines administration: avoiding the pitfalls. Practice Nurse, 42(15), 26-30. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=80b52512-dbd2-4c6c-9c16-7bad30d388da%40sessionmgr198&vid=2&hid=119&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=hch&AN=82826188 Webb, J.A. (2012). Similar drug names cause injury, lawsuit claims. Opthalmology Times, 37(6), 3. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=4bba7d04-9dd1-422b-b3d7-e245ad1916e5%40sessionmgr115&vid=2&hid=119 Merry, A.F., & Anderson, B.J. (2011). Medication errors – new approaches to prevention. Pediatric Anesthesia, 21(7), 743-753. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3987c858-5aa3-40e7-a2f2-30ef02f50e9b%40sessionmgr110&vid=2&hid=119