Prevention of Medication Error - Essay Example

Medication errors are any deviation from that which has been prescribed by the physician. These errors usually will involve the incorrect dosage or calculation of dosage, incorrect route used that is other than prescribed, incorrect time of medication administration, incorrect medication, and failure on the part of the nurse to understand what the medication is being prescribed for. If the medication is not known or unfamiliar to the nurse it is impossible to be aware of and monitor the patient for adverse reactions or to know if the medication seems appropriate for the patient’s condition. It is acceptable for one administering a medication to ask questions of the physician when the medication does not seem appropriate as medication errors are made at all levels of care in the medical setting. Other possible causes of medication errors are medication names that look and sound alike, errors in the transcription of the prescription, and the misuse of medical equipment.

There are an estimated 7000 errors resulting in death each year in the United States (Athanasakis, 2012). Strategies used to prevent medication errors involve simplifying and standardizing the medication administration process. The environment should be free of distractions during periods of medication administration and interruptions should be avoided with ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs. Premixed medications from the pharmacy also reduce errors; requiring nurses to calculate dosage’s based on weight or lab results less frequently which can lead to calculation errors. Double checking of medications by two nurses should be and is mandatory with certain medications and blood products. Nurses must carefully review and implement each of the standard five rights of medication administration; right medication, dose, route, time, and patient. The patient should also be asked about their date of birth. They should also be aware of any interactions the medication may have with other medications and any patient allergies.

Very similar medications should be differentiated by a very clear label in cases where appearance and name are close. Medication orders which are given verbally are also hazardous; orders should be written and information such as the patient's name, the medication, and the reason for the medication should be confirmed before the verbal order is filled (Athanasakis, 2012). New strategies are being implemented to prevent errors including bar code technology, increasing the ratio of patient-to-staff,  and the implementation of intranets allowing nurses access to medication and patient information necessary for the safe administration of medication.

Medication error reporting is an essential practice that allows healthcare workers to learn about hidden and potential risks, the cause of errors, and methods to prevent errors (Gaunt, 2010). Best practices have been defined by the  Institute for Safe Medication Practices Medication Errors Reporting Program. Categories are then defined which work to increase error reporting. Initially, those who are responsible for receiving and acting on medication error reports must be considered trustworthy; errors should be used to assess the performance of the system in place rather than the staff. This promotes error reporting in those who fear punishment.

Confidentiality must also be ensured and maintained though it is not recommended to report errors anonymously. The format of the report must be clear and easy to follow; it should include all of the needed information yet avoid being so long as to stifle readers. Information in the report should be acted on and used for the system in place to remain credible. Reward systems are also another best practice identified that rewards those who are proactive in high-quality error-free patient care. Finally, those who receive the error reports must implement measures to educate new staff members and remediate other staff members on how to avoid known errors.