Medical errors in hospitals have been all too common today. It can be difficult to prevent them. It is possible to do so in certain situations, especially if hospitals are willing to consider various attitudes to solving the problem.
A recent study has shown that medical errors can be the third leading cause of death globally. Progress has been made over the years – but that’s not enough. But medical errors are different from medication errors in a hospital setting so let’s first learn about what are medication errors.
What exactly are medication errors?
Medication errors are preventable events due to incorrect use of medications. Medication errors that cause damage are called preventable adverse drug reactions. If a drug error occurs but did not harm anyone, it is called a potential adverse drug event.
An example of a medication error is taking an over-the-counter medication that includes acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) while still taking a prescription pain medicine containing this same ingredient. This error could lead you to take more than the prescribed dosage of acetaminophen. It can put you at risk of liver damage.
Another example of a potential medication error is the use of a depression drug called fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) with a migraine drug called sumatriptan (Imitrex). Both medications affect the level of a brain chemical called serotonin. Taking them together will lead to a potentially life-threatening disorder called serotonin syndrome. Dangerous drug interaction signs include confusion, irritation, rapid heartbeat, etc.
How do medication errors happen in hospital?
Medication errors can happen to anybody at any place, including your own home and doctor’s office. Children normally require different doses of medications than adults. So, they are particularly at high risk of drug error.
Knowing what you’re up to will help you play it safe. The most important causes of medication error are:
- Poor communication with your doctors
- Poor communication between you and your doctor
- Medication names that sound the same and drugs that look the same
- Medical abbreviations
Here are several Principles to Prevent Medical Errors in Hospitals:
1. Adopt the structure for hand-off conversations
Miscommunication between staff during shift changes is one of the main contributors. It causes the most serious accidents and deaths related to medical mistakes. Using checklists and other methods to ensure that nothing is missed during hand-off conversations is crucial to preventing errors.
2. Get pharmacists more directly involved in the treatment of patients
It’s common for doctors and nurses to work together with patients. Lieber proposes to add pharmacists to the mix. Doctors will get direct information on how different drugs can adversely impact patients’ conditions. And they will know which ones they can recommend instead. Pharmacists may also be able to catch errors involving medications more quickly.
3. Work to reduce infection
Hospital-acquired diseases are some of the most serious conditions that patients face during their hospital stays. To prevent germs from spreading, hospitals must be careful to follow federal guidelines. They have to follow the rules to disinfect patients’ rooms, surgical tools, laboratories, etc. The facilities must also ensure that staff follows best practices in the field of hand hygiene.
4. Avoid diagnostic error
Mistakes of diagnosis should not include the wrong diagnosis. Delayed diagnosis, overdiagnosis, and partial diagnosis also count. Lieber suggests that diagnosing patients should involve the whole health care staff, from doctors to radiologists. Each person should make good use of their expertise. They should not be afraid to speak up if they see any inconsistencies. This way, the diagnosis would be more accurate.
5. Make Electronic Health Record (EHR) programs more interoperable
Meaningful use requirements will soon change. A greater focus will be put on ensuring that EHR systems from various providers and hospitals will communicate with each other to share key patient health information easily. Hospitals need to work closely with their EHR suppliers and IT staff to ensure that their systems meet these requirements.
6. What you need to tell the health care providers:
Tell the name and strength of all medications you use and when you take them. These include prescription drugs, plants, vitamins, dietary supplements, over-the-counter drugs. Also, tell everything you receive intravenously. These include diagnostic and comparison agents, toxic drugs, tube feed supplements, and blood products;
- Any drug that you are allergic to or that has caused problems for you in the past
- Do you have some serious or chronic health conditions
- Whether you may be pregnant or are trying to become pregnant
7. Avoid making these errors in a hospital setting
Some individuals have experienced the following medication errors. Don’t make the same mistakes:
- Misunderstanding between eardrops and eyedrops. Double-check the label. If the medicine says “otic,” it’s for the ears. If it says “ophthalmic,” it’s for the eyes.
- Chewing non-chewable. Don’t assume that chewing a pill is as good as swallowing it. Some drugs should never be chewed, cut, or crushed. Doing so can change the way the body absorbs it.
- Cutting the pills. Never break the pills unless your doctor or pharmacist has told you it is safe to do so. Some drugs should not be cut because they are specially coated to be long-lasting or protect the stomach.
- Use the wrong spoon. Your silverware drawer’s spoons are not measuring spoons. To get the correct dosage, use an oral syringe or a dosing cup with the medication.
8. Make safety a habit
Get in the habit of playing it safe with the tips of these medications:
- Keep an up-to-date list of all the medications, including non-prescription drugs and vitamins.
- Store the drugs in their original containers.
- Keep the drugs organized using a pillbox or an automatic pill dispenser.
- Save the information sheets that come with your prescriptions
- If possible, use the same pharmacy for all your medications.
- When you take a prescription, check that it is the one that your doctor has ordered.
- Don’t give someone else your prescription drug, and don’t take someone else’s medicine.
9. Questions to ask the doctor
- Do I have a medical condition?
- What tests do I need to confirm my condition?
- What’s my recovery options? What are the pros and cons of each option?
- Are there any new trials or research that I should consider?
- Do I have to take medicines? If so, what would you recommend?
- What’s the drug for, or what’s the drug treat?
- What are the potential side effects, and what do I do if they occur?
- How am I going to take medicine?
- How long am I going to have to take medicine?
- Is this drug safe to use for other medicines?
- What foods, liquids, or things can I avoid while taking this medicine?
- What is the plan before, during, and after surgery if I require surgery?
The Bottom Line
Don’t ask, don’t inform” is never a good policy when it comes to drugs and your health. Don’t wait to ask questions or tell the health care providers if something seems wrong. Remember, you’re the final line of protection against medication errors.
Suppose you have problems with a prescription despite your efforts. Then speak to the doctor or pharmacist about sending it to MedWatch. It is the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Adverse event Reporting Service. Reporting to MedWatch is simple, confidential, and secure. This will help save others from being harmed by medication errors.
