Medication errors are incidents that can be prevented, and they occur when inappropriate medication is used or when the patient is harmed. At the same time, medicine is being controlled by healthcare professionals, patients, or consumers (Setareh et al., 2022). One of the critical aspects of this issue is the preventable adverse effects that arise when patients take the wrong medication or incorrect dosage. Such errors can have serious consequences, ranging from patient harm to death, as highlighted by numerous studies on PubMed and reports by StatPearls on NCBI Bookshelf.
Involved Parties and Root Causes
The range of medication errors involves several healthcare professionals, including physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and patients. The reasons behind these errors are multifaceted and include human factors such as distractions and workload, systemic issues such as similar drug names and packaging, and technological errors in electronic prescribing systems.
Context and Impact of Medication Errors
The healthcare industry faces a serious challenge due to medication errors threatening patient safety. The complex nature of modern medication management and the wide variety of drugs available further complicate efforts to prevent such errors. These errors significantly impact the patient’s safety, health and trust in the healthcare system (Tapuria et al., 2021). Moreover, they result in substantial financial burdens. PubMed research has also highlighted the gravity of this issue.
Some groups of people are at a higher risk of being harmed by medication errors than others. The elderly, who are often taking many different medications, and children, who require precise doses, are especially vulnerable, and mistakes can have more serious consequences. Patients with chronic conditions are also at a greater risk because their medication regimens are usually more complex.
Mitigation Strategies and Solutions
To reduce medication errors, several interventions have been suggested. One key strategy is Computerized Physician Order Entry, which helps in electronic prescribing and can help reduce errors due to handwriting and manual data entry. Pharmacist reviews are also critical in providing an additional layer of verification and expertise in medication management. Patient education is another vital component that ensures patients understand their medications and how to take them correctly (Wimmer et al., 2023). Developing systems to double-check medication orders and dosages can also help prevent errors. These interventions align with the suggested medication and patient safety keywords and emphasize a holistic approach to reducing medication errors.
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