Medication administration errors are a serious form of medical malpractice. There are several ways in which medication administration errors can occur. For example, a nurse may misinterpret an oral or written instruction from a doctor. The person responsible for administering the medication may simply administer the wrong type of medication or the wrong dosage.
EPR can also help reduce medication errors by helping pharmacists monitor and audit utilization and by facilitating communication between healthcare providers to improve patient care. Most medical errors do not occur solely as a result of the actions of a doctor or a group of professionals; most are due to system or process failures that lead to errors, such as keeping dangerous and routine medications together without the pharmacist's supervision or without the adoption of cost control measures, increasing the workload and the rate of medical errors. Because patients' medications are involved in several components (for example, prescription, dispensing, dosing, and administration), errors can occur in any of these aspects. Therefore, an essential first step in reducing medical errors is to promote reporting by removing any reporting barriers, so that adverse events and quasi-errors can be identified. The greatest benefit for the largest number of patients is achieved when processes are constantly focused on improving quality and avoiding the repetition of the same error.
For every person who dies, countless lives are disrupted and families must treat a loved one with serious health problems. Omission errors cause adverse effects if no action is taken (for example, not tying the patient to a wheelchair or not stabilizing a stretcher before the patient is transferred), while commission errors occur as a result of direct action by a member of the health care team (for example, administering a medication to a patient with a known allergy or mislabeling a laboratory sample with the patient's incorrect name). In addition, a significant number of medical devices (e.g., pacemakers, defibrillators, and nerve and brain stimulators) have been implanted in patients, which can malfunction and cause potentially fatal complications. An active error is a specific event that causes harm to the patient and involves health professionals who provide some aspect of patient care, such as operating on the wrong eye. Avoidable errors occur because systems for safely prescribing and ordering medications are not being used properly.
Meanwhile, here are the top five medical errors that can cause serious injury or even death. The AMCP has expressed support for a medication error reporting system that encourages participation and provides confidentiality and protection to reported information and to people who report. These cases have a lot at stake because medical malpractice verdicts and settlements can be substantial. The medical professionals you trust for your well-being may not live up to that trust in a number of harmful ways. While not reporting medical errors increases the likelihood that patients will be seriously harmed, many health institutions have strict policies that create a confrontational environment.
Often, patients are not aware that errors can occur and are often not actively involved in understanding what is being communicated to them.
