The Most Common Medication Errors

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

I was hoping for a more specific information. This article is written

in laymen's terms, but someone may be able to pass it on to a friend

or relative not in the pharmacy industry.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=55234

Medical Author: Conrad Stöppler, MD

Medical Editor: Jay W. Marks, MD

" Approximately 1.3 million people are injured annually in the United

States following so-called " medication errors " . The National

Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention

defines a medication error as " any preventable event that may cause

or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the

medication is in the control of the health care professional,

patient, or consumer…related to professional practice, health care

products, procedures, and systems, including prescribing; order

communication; product labeling, packaging, and nomenclature;

compounding; dispensing; distribution; administration; education;

monitoring; and use. "

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA) currently reviews

medication error reports that come from drug manufacturers and

through MedWatch, the agency's safety information and adverse event

reporting program. The agency also receives reports about medication

errors from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) and

the U.S. Pharmacopeia.

What kinds of errors are most common?

In a study by the FDA that evaluated reports of fatal medication

errors from 1993 to 1998, the most common error involving medications

was related to administration of an improper dose of medicine,

accounting for 41% of fatal medication errors. Giving the wrong drug

and using the wrong route of administration each accounted for 16% of

the errors. Almost half of the fatal medication errors occurred in

people over the age of 60. Older people may be at greatest risk for

medication errors because they often take multiple prescription

medications.

How can you help prevent medication errors?

When your doctor gives you a prescription, ask him or her to tell you

the name of the drug, the correct dosage, and what the drug is used

for. Be sure you understand the directions for any medications you

may be taking including the correct dosage, storage requirements, and

any special instructions. In the hospital, ask (or have a relative or

friend ask) the name and purpose of each drug you are given. Be sure

to tell your doctor the names of all the prescription and non-

prescription drugs, dietary supplements, and herbal preparations you

are taking every time he or she writes you a new prescription. This

will help to prevent another type of medication problem, undesirable

and potentially serious interactions among medications. Finally,

never be afraid to ask questions. If the name of the drug on your

prescription looks different than you expected, if the directions

appear different than you thought, or if the pills or medication

itself looks different, tell your doctor or pharmacist right away.

Asking questions if you have any suspicions at all is a free and easy

way to ensure that you don't become the victim of a medication error.

For information about your medications, please visit the Medication

Center.

References: FDA Consumer magazine. May-June 2003, " Strategies to

Reduce Medication Errors. " . US Pharmacopoeia Web site, accessed

11/04/2005. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug

Evaluation and Research (CDER) Web site, accessed 11/04/2005. "

Last Editorial Review: 6/22/2006

Respectfully,

Jeaentta Mastron CPhT BS

Pharmacy Tech Educator

Founder/Owner