Medication Errors
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Medication errors pose a significant threat to patients. The results of medication errors vary from mild to deadly. No facility is immune from the possibility to drug errors, either through a fault of their own, or from suppliers or pharmacists that supply them. All medication errors must be reported to the Food and Drug Administration. This agency keeps records of the types of drug errors that occur, with the intention of using them as a tool to improve patient safety on all levels (U.S. FDA). This study will explore many facets of medication errors and will present a review of a video on medication errors from the ISMP website. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of medication errors and ways to minimize them in any medical setting.

A medication error is…...

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Works Cited

Friedman AL,

Geoghegan SR,

Sowers NM,

Kulkarni S,

Medication Errors Including Look-Alike Sound-Alike Drugs in an ICU
People mistakes. This is true in every field and in every job. But in certain areas, mistakes can be costly, even deadly. Medication errors happen because sometimes staff at the medical facility or hospital see drug names that not just look alike, but also sound alike. Statistics point to only 0-2% detection rate of medication errors and prescribing errors. Although over 34% of adverse events happen when it comes to medication errors and over a half for prescribing errors, the very low detection rate presents problems. Medication safety, patient safety should be paramount especially in ICU conditions where the health of patients is at best stable, at worst at the brink of death.

To prevent things like accidental overdose, allergic reactions, or other complications resulting from medication errors, a possible solution is renaming drugs, especially those that have to be injected. Surveys nationwide…...

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References

Emmerton, L., & Rizk, M. (2011). Look-alike and sound-alike medicines: risks and 'solutions'.International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 34(1), 4-8. Doi: 10.1007/s11096-011-9595-x

Irwin, A., Mearns, K., Watson, M., & Urquhart, J. (2012). The Effect of Proximity, Tall Man Lettering, and Time Pressure on Accurate Visual Perception of Drug Names. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 55(2), 253-266. Doi: 10.1177/0018720812457565

Pak, J., & Park, K. (2012). Construction of a Smart Medication Dispenser with High Degree of Scalability and Remote Manageability. Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, 2012, 1-10. doi:10.1155/2012/381493

Pape, T. (2013). The Effect of a Five-Part Intervention to Decrease Omitted Medications. Nurse Forum, 48(3), 211-222. doi:10.1111/nuf.12025

Medication Errors
Over Medication



Overmedication can be described as an inappropriate medical treatment that occurs when a patient takes unnecessary or excessive medications. This may happen because the prescriber is unaware of other medications the patient is already taking, because of drug interactions with another chemical or target population, because of human error, or because of undiagnosed medical conditions. Sometimes, the extra prescription is intentional (and sometimes illegal), as in the case of the use of excessive psychoactive medications as "chemical restraints" for elderly patients in nursing homes. The purpose of the research paper is to identify the root causes of overmedication and its effect on healthcare. It then goes on to identify the role that a nurse can play in elimination medication errors.

oot causes of Overmedication:

Overmedication is the misuse or prescription of medication in situations where less medication would be more beneficial to the patient. Patients are being vastly overmedicated for…...

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References:

Barber, C. (2008). "Comfortably Numb: How Psychiatry Is Medicating a Nation"

Deene, L. (2009) "Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing" Is This the Right Patient?

Siri C. (2008). "The epidemic of overmedication Use of multiple drugs, especially in older adults, can exacerbate ailments"

One proven solution to decrease medication errors is use of medication software such as CPOE. It has significantly reduced errors in prescribing, transcription, and dispensing of medications (Hidle). It also has the potential to decrease errors in administration due to unfamiliarity with a drug, drugs with similar names, or incorrect dose calculations since the software performs the calculations. So, why are these systems not used more often in the administration of medications? In general, there has been reluctance on the part of nurses to use software programs. It is not known why this is, but it is thought that unfamiliarity with the technology, lack of training, and lack of involvement in the design of the software has caused this reluctance. Studies have shown that when used medical software has reduced medication errors due to administration (King). One major drawback is the lack of willingness to use the software. This could…...

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References

Dickens, G. Inpatient psychiatry: Three methods to detect medication errors. Nurse Prescribing 5(4) (2007): 167-171. Web. 5 May 2010.

Drach-Zahavy, a., Pud, D. Learning mechanisms to limit medication administration errors. Journal of Advanced Nursing 66(4) (2010): 794-805. Web. 7 May 2010.

Hidle, U. Implementing technology to improve medication safety in healthcare facilities: A literature review. Journal of the New York State Nurses Association 38(2) (2007): 4-9. Web. 6 May 2010.

King, W.J., Paice, N., Rangrej, J., Forestell, G.J., Swartz, R. The effect of computerized physician order entry on medication errors and adverse drug events in pediatric inpatients. Pediatrics 112 (2003): 506-509. Web. 6 May 2010.

Medication errors have serious direct and indirect results, and are usually the consequence of breakdowns in a system of care…Ten to 18% of all reported hospital injuries have been attributed to medication errors" (Mayo & Duncan 2004: 209). One of the most common reasons that errors in medical administration transpire is miscommunication. On a staff level, errors may occur in terms of the paperwork associated with the patient. The hospital pharmacist may misread the strength or even the name of the pill or the frequency of the dose and release the patient with an incorrect pill or orders. Or, within the hospital a nurse may misread the patient's orders and administer treatment incorrectly. If a nurse, within the environment of the hospital, is pressed for time or overtired, risks of medication errors increase.
When a patient is discharged with orders, miscommunication can also occur if the nurse does not stress the…...

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References

Bullock, S., & Manias, E. (2011). Fundamentals of pharmacology. Frenchs Forest, Australia:

Pearson Education (6th ed). Australia.

Clinical Rounds: How nurses perceive mistakes. (2004). Nursing. 34 (11): 34. Retrieved

September 5, 2011 at  http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=531200

The anger that eventually and inevitably spills out is far more hurtful than any truth I could have told before, and the damage I have done to my self-esteem is too great. My opinions, right or wrong, are part of who I am.
Honesty does not mean tactlessness. In fact, one of the important lessons about learning to be honest is to know that honesty does not mean being too brutal, or sarcastic, or cruel, which is just the same thing as lying. Cruelty is a lie because it is a one-sided tale. Nothing is all bad or all good. Honesty is a balanced and upfront perspective of the truth, even if it is only your subjective, perceived truth. Everyone's truth, after all, will be influenced by their personal biases and perspectives on life. But that does not excuse telling falsehoods about that perspective.

Being honest is important to me, because…...

Clinical Application Paper Medication errors are a serious public health problem and they pose a serious threat to patient safety. Medication errors are costly from an economic, human, and social viewpoint since all patients are potentially vulnerable to these errors. It is estimated that in the United States more than 250,000 deaths per year are attributed to medication errors (Dirik, Samur, Seren Intepeler, & Hewison, 2019). Nurses work in a fast-paced healthcare environment which makes administering medication to be a high-risk nursing task. Medication errors can occur at any phase of medication from prescribing, dispensing, transcribing, administering, monitoring, and reporting. When a nurse makes a medication error they are emotionally traumatized since most of them beat themselves up for making such an error and this might undermine their self-esteem and confidence. Medication errors can be caused by any member of the healthcare team, but nurses account for the majority since nurses…...

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References

Cho, S.-D., Heo, S.-E., & Moon, D. H. (2016). A convergence study on the hospital nurse\\'s perception of patient safety culture and safety nursing activity. Journal of the Korea Convergence Society, 7(1), 125-136.

Dirik, H. F., Samur, M., Seren Intepeler, S., & Hewison, A. (2019). Nurses’ identification and reporting of medication errors. Journal of clinical nursing, 28(5-6), 931-938.

Kelly, K., Harrington, L., Matos, P., Turner, B., & Johnson, C. (2016). Creating a culture of safety around bar-code medication administration: An evidence-based evaluation framework. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 46(1), 30-37.

Lee, S. E., Scott, L. D., Dahinten, V. S., Vincent, C., Lopez, K. D., & Park, C. G. (2019). Safety culture, patient safety, and quality of care outcomes: A literature review. Western journal of nursing research, 41(2), 279-304.

Tong, E. Y., Roman, C. P., Mitra, B., Yip, G. S., Gibbs, H., Newnham, H. H., . . . Dooley, M. J. (2017). Reducing medication errors in hospital discharge summaries: a randomised controlled trial. Medical Journal of Australia, 206(1), 36-39.

Errors are unavoidable in our everyday routines. Numerous mistakes are part of the changing cycle of psychological-behavioral adjustments that lead to appropriate behavioral abilities. The following of medical directions is an essential element of the healing process, as is medical experience. But it is the most critical factor in healthcare success. In addition, it plays a vital role in patient safety. With the recent advancements in medicine, many prescription medicines and countless counter medications are available (Tariq et al.,2021). Because there are so many medications in the industry, accidents may happen when professionals recommend or administer them. However, the ASPH has come up with guidelines that help prevent and reduce medication errors.With the increasing growth in medications and prescriptions, there is a considerable increase in the medicine prescribing and administration process (Watcher,2012). Any foreseeable incident that may contribute to incorrect prescription use or medical damage, whereas the treatment is administered,…...

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References

Billstein-Leber, M., Carrillo, C. J. D., Cassano, A. T., Moline, K., & Robertson, J. J. (2018). ASHP guidelines on preventing medication errors in hospitals. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 75(19), 1493-1517.

Buljac-Samardzic, M., Doekhie, K. D., & van Wijngaarden, J. D. (2020). Interventions to improve team effectiveness within health care: a systematic review of the past decade. Human resources for health, 18(1), 1-42.

Debono, D., Taylor, N., Lipworth, W., Greenfield, D., Travaglia, J., Black, D., & Braithwaite, J. (2017). Applying the theoretical domains framework to identify barriers and targeted interventions to enhance nurses’ use of electronic medication management systems in two Australian hospitals. Implementation Science, 12(1), 1-13.

Elden, N. M. K., & Ismail, A. (2016). The importance of medication errors reporting in improving the quality of clinical care services. Global journal of health science, 8(8), 243.

Genetics/Genomics and Medication in Public Health Care
Contemporary health care has experienced significant changes in the recent past because of several factors like technology and advances in genetics or genomics. Actually, nurses in the modern health care system are well positioned to include genetic and genomic information in nearly every aspect of public health. This is primarily because advances in genetics and genomics are applicable to the whole spectrum of health care and every health care profession. The use of genetics and genomics in the current health care system is influenced by the fact that nearly every health condition, disease risk, and therapies used to treat the conditions have a genomic and/or genetic component (Calzone et. al., 2010, p.26).

Some of the most significant public health related advances in genomics and genetics include genetic testing, gene therapy, and genotyping and genetic sequencing. These advances have and are expected to continue making considerable…...

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References

Calzone et. al. (2010, January). Nurses Transforming Health Care Using Genetics and Genomics. Nursing Outlook, 58(1), 26-35.

Huston, C. (2013, May 31). The Impact of Emerging Technology on Nursing Care: Warp Speed Ahead. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 18(2). Retrieved September 2, 2015, from  http://nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-18-2013/No2-May-2013/Impact-of-Emerging-Technology.html 

"The Safety of Medicines in Public Health Programmes: Pharmacovigilance An Essential Tool." (2006). World Health Organization. Retrieved September 2, 2015, from  http://www.who.int/medicines/areas/quality_safety/safety_efficacy/Pharmacovigilance_B.pdf 

Velo, G.P. & Minuz, P. (2009, June). Medication Errors: Prescribing Faults and Prescription Errors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 67(6), 624-628.

Medication Errors in an ICU Unit
Medication Errors -- Including Look-Alike and Sound-Alike Drugs -- in an ICU Unit

Medication errors can and do occur in the ICU unit, and they often come from look-alike and sound-alike medications that can easily get mixed up. When a nurse or other health care professional gives a medication to a patient, that professional should be absolutely certain the medication is the right one, and in the right dosage (Helmons, Dalton, & Daniels, 2012). Unfortunately, that due diligence does not always take place, and people who want and need the proper medications do not always get them (Helmons, Dalton, & Daniels, 2012). Especially in an ICU, when patients are dealing with critical injuries or sicknesses, an incorrect, missing, or wrongly added medication could result in the worsening of a patient's condition or even the death of that patient (Athanasakis, 2012). In addition to medications that look…...

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References

Athanasakis, E. (2012). Prevention of medication errors made by nurses in clinical practice. Health Science Journal, 6(4): 773-783.

Crigger, N., & Godfrey, N.S. (2014). Professional wrongdoing: Reconciliation and recovery. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 4(4): 40-45.

Elliott, M., Page, K., & Worrall-Carter, L. (2012). Reason's accident causation model: Application to adverse events in acute care. Contemporary Nurse, 43(1): 22-28.

Frith, K.H., Anderson, E.F., Tseng, F., & Fong, E.A. (2012). Nurse staffing is an important strategy to prevent medication errors in community hospitals. Nursing Economics, 30(5): 288-294.

First of all, there must be a paradigm shift in the patient-provider relationship, one being to "allow and encourage patients to take a more active role in their own medical care" via some type of partnership between a patient and his/her physician. This could be accomplished by better communication via physicians "fully informing their patients about the risks, contraindications and possible side effects" of all medications ("Preventing Medication Errors," 2006, 2).
Second, physicians, nurses and other health care professionals must utilize information technologies to reduce medication errors. One way is to use "point-of-care reference information typically accessed over the Internet" which provides highly-detailed information about the specifics of a certain drug and how it interacts with other medications ("Preventing Medication Errors," 2006, 3). Of course, many hospitals are now using computers instead of paper to track and account for all medications and to ensure that the patient receives the right…...

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REFERENCES

Glanze, Walter D. (2001). Medication errors: a serious medical problem and its consequences. Journal of Nursing, 4(2), 134-36.

"Preventing Medication Errors." (2006). Report Brief. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 1-4.

(Institute for Safe Medication Practices)
Many medication errors by the patient occur because they do not know about the drugs they are taking. Nurses can help to identify these gaps and provide education and written materials for the patient.

Medication errors could be greatly reduced if the patient was taught to:

1. Inform doctors of all allergies and any previous reactions to drugs

2. Ask the doctors and pharmacist about prescribed medications in layman terms

3. If English is not the first language always take an interpreter

4. Most important is to be active participant in the health care team. (Woolston, Chris)

Patients in the hospital can help avoid medication errors by:

1. When receiving a new medication, ask what it is and what is for, who ordered it and how often it is given.

2. Always make sure your ID bracelet is checked and state your name to the nurse.

3. Read the name on the IV bag…...

According to Daughton, a researcher at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Indeed, deaths from medication errors occurring both in and out of hospitals exceed 7,000 annually in the United States -- exceeding those from workplace injuries" (2003, p. 757).
Tertiary healthcare facilities and other healthcare providers have identified some effective methods for reducing the number of medication errors through the use of technology, improving processes, targeting those types of specific medication errors that result in harm to patients, and promoting an organizational culture of safety (Meadows, 2003). One approach that has been shown to be particularly effective has been the use of bar codes and scanners together with computerized patient information systems; in these settings, bar code technology can help to prevent a number of different types of medication errors, including administering the wrong drug or dose, or administering a drug to a patient with a known allergy (Meadows, 2003).…...

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References

Anson, B.R. (2000). Taking charge of change in a volatile healthcare marketplace. Human Resource Planning, 23(4), 21.

Daughton, C.G. (2003). Cradle-to-cradle stewardship of drugs for minimizing their environmental disposition while promoting human health. Environmental Health

Perspectives, 111(5), 757-758.

Meadows, M. (2003, May-June). Strategies to reduce medication errors: How the FDA is working to improve medication safety and what you can do to help. FDA Consumer,

"
The right route

Likewise, this clinician advises, "The administrator must give the medication via the right route. In preparing the medication, the triple check will identify the route to be given on the medication order."

The right time

Penultimately, double-checking the time is required: "The administrator will check the medication order to ensure that the medication is given at the right time. The prescriber will identify the times that the medication is to be given."

Proper documentation

Finally, clinicians administering medication are responsible for recording the client's status prior to the medication administration as well as the medication given, the time it was given, the dose given, and the route administered. In addition, "Then the administrator will follow up and record the client's response to the medication given."

Source: Adapted from Six ights to educing Medication Errors, 2012

Methodology

The project will consist of a series of custom-designed posters, 11" X 14" (released monthly) and newsletter entries (published…...

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References

Bomba, D. & Land, T. (2006, August). The feasibility of implementing an electronic prescribing decision support system: A case study of an Australian public hospital. Australian Health

Review, (30)3, 3-5.

Evans, J. (2009, February). Prevalence, risk factors, consequences and strategies for reducing medication errors in Australian hospitals: A literature review. Contemporary Nurse: a Journal for the Australian Nursing Profession, 31(2), 19-20.

Mahmood, a., Chaudhury, H. & Gaumont, a. (2009, Winter). Environmental issues related to medication errors in long-term care: Lessons from the literature. HERD: Health

Quality and Sustainability Paper Part Two - Identifying Opportunities to Reduce Medication Error Rates by Nursing Staff As reported previously, medication errors can occur in virtually any treatment setting, including patients’ homes, but the problem is especially pronounced in hospitals where the adverse reactions caused by medication errors can result in extended inpatient stays or even death. As also reported previously, nurses account for the largest percentage of medication errors, and these errors affect more than 7 million patients, cost nearly $21 billion and cause more than one million emergency room visits and three-and-a-half million visits to doctors’ offices each year. The purpose of part two of this study is to provide an overview of a selected nationwide health care organization and a description of its successes and failures in reducing medication error rates. In addition, this part of the study identifies a quality area in which nursing science can have…...

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References

About XYZ. (2018). XYZ Health Care Organization. Retrieved from findcare.asp.

Bellum, P. (2018). New study shows quality improvement initiative working. XYZ Health Care Organization. Retrieved from NewsFeatures/20110825a.asp.

Incident reporting. (2015). XYZ Health Care Organization. Retrieved from https://www.va.gov/ vdl/documents/financial_admin/incident_reporting/irum.doc.

Stoppler, M. C. & Marks, J. W. (2018) The most common medication errors. MedicineNet. Retrieved from https://www.medicinenet.com/drugs_the_most_common_ medication_errors/views.htm.

The origin of the XYZ motto. (2018). XYZ Health Care Organization. Retrieved from https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/vamotto.pdf.

https://www.va.gov/health/

Sure, I can help you get started on your paper on medication errors. Here's an example of how you can format and structure the introduction:

Title: Addressing Medication Errors: An Examination of Causes, Prevention, and Solutions

Introduction:

I. Background Information
A. Importance of Medication Safety
B. Prevalence and Impact of Medication Errors

II. Definition of Medication Errors
A. Explanation of What Constitutes a Medication Error
B. Different Types of Medication Errors

III. Objectives of the Paper
A. To Identify Common Causes of Medication Errors
B. To Explore Strategies for Preventing Medication Errors
C. To Discuss....

Health Information System (HIS)

A Health Information System (HIS) is a comprehensive, integrated information system designed to manage, store, and process health-related data and information. It provides a platform for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of patient health information, facilitating efficient and effective healthcare delivery.

Components of a Health Information System

A comprehensive HIS typically consists of the following components:

Electronic Health Record (EHR): A digital repository of patient health information, including medical history, medications, allergies, vital signs, diagnostic test results, and treatment plans.
Patient Management System: A module for scheduling appointments, managing patient demographics, and tracking insurance coverage.
Clinical Decision Support Tools:....

One way to use technology for better patient care is by implementing predictive analytics. By analyzing large amounts of data, healthcare providers can identify patterns and trends that may lead to potential health issues. This can help in predicting and preventing adverse events, such as medication errors or hospital readmissions.

Another way technology can improve patient care is by giving patients digital access to their health records. This allows patients to have more control over their own healthcare information and enables them to easily share this information with different healthcare providers. Having access to their health records can also help patients....

Implementing Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing Care

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a systematic approach to healthcare that incorporates the best available research, clinical expertise, and patient values to deliver optimal patient outcomes. In nursing care, implementing EBP has proven instrumental in enhancing the quality and effectiveness of interventions.

Benefits of EBP in Patient Outcomes

Improved Patient Safety:

EBP guidelines reduce medication errors, hospital-acquired infections, and other adverse events by providing standardized protocols based on proven research.
Risk assessment tools and early warning systems help identify and intervene on potential complications early on.

Enhanced Treatment Efficacy:

EBP supports the use of therapies and interventions that have....