medication administration safety

The 2013 National Patient Safety Goals Standards (NPSGS) recognize that at certain points in the health care process, a risk is present for error. Even a single error represents the risk of serious harm to the patient, with attendant negative consequences for the health care professional involved in the error. The NPSGS have been established to present procedural safeguards against the possibility of these errors. If the safeguards are consistently followed, the risk of errors will decline, with benefits to patients and health care professionals as well. The process of prescribing and dispensing medication to patients comprises a critical juncture in patient care. The process involves a number of risk points during which errors can occur. The NPSGS establish procedural safeguards in order to protect patients from medication administration errors. The standards also serve to protect health care personnel from the personal and professional consequences of making such errors. The NPSGS for medication administration involve recommendations for the following risk points: medication reconciliation, proper identification of a patient prior to dispensing medication, and correct labeling of medication once it has been removed from its original packaging. Medication reconciliation is an important patient safety issue. Reconciliation involves obtaining information on all the medications that a patient is taking, and making sure that no duplication, incorrect prescriptions or conflicting prescriptions exist in the list of medicines. Many patients take more than one medication, and administration of medication to these patients is often complex. In order to avoid health complications from errors in medication administration, it is important that a clinician compare the

References: Compau, S. (2013). National patient safety goals. GMC Quality Resources Department. The Joint Commission. (2012a). National Patient Safety Goals Effective January 1, 2013: Home Care Accreditation Program. Retrieved from http://www.jointcommission.org/standards_information/npsgs.aspx The Joint Commission. (2012b). National Patient Safety Goals Effective January 1, 2013: Hospital Accreditation Program