Accidents happen even in hospitals, and medication errors result in thousands of deaths every year. Fortunately, the health care industry is taking steps to make hospitals safer for everyone.The Division on Medication Errors
The public first started caring more about safety in the hospital and pharmaceutical environment in 1999 when the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report titled, To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System. According to this report, between 44,000 and 98,000 people die every year due to medication errors in hospitals alone. The response from the FDA was swift, and there were several changes in place by 2002. With the creation of the Division on Medication Errors, the FDA was able to put safeguards in place that help hospitals avoid medication errors.
- Bar Codes – Hospitals now use car codes scanning equipment to ensure that all medications were given to the right patient, in the correct dose and through the proper form. Patients wear a matching barcode on a bracelet, so nurses can verify that all information matches. Over the last nine years, the VA Medical Center in Topeka, KS, has reported an 86 percent reduction in medication errors as a result.
- Considerations for Drug Names – Drugs with names that sound alike are easily confused, so the FDA carefully screens proposed names. With this simple change, doctors and patients are less likely to confuse medications and cause a dangerous reaction.
Safe Packaging of Medications
When a hospital has tight controls over their medications, the patients benefit through fewer medication errors. While all hospitals are required to use the bar code system, a smart packaging program also improves safety. With automated packaging, hospitals can ensure that all medications are properly labeled with medication information, expiration date, lot number, bar code and patient identification. Further, the software used for automated packaging makes it easier to handle medication recalls.
Computerized Physician Order Entry
The CPOE system is growing in popularity because it has been proven effective. Handwritten prescriptions may be misread, and prescriptions called in over the phone are easily misunderstood. When the data comes in through the computer system, there is no doubt that the information will be properly received by the pharmacist. Eugene Wiener, M.D. and medical director of the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, praises its effectiveness for preventing medication errors. The automated system demands information like weight, and the pharmacist is alerted if important information is missing.
Centralized Records
Mistakes are more likely to happen when patient information is scattered in different locations. Centralizing information between pharmacists, doctors and nurses in the hospital makes it easier for any health-care provider to see a full history and make informed decisions. With the MAR system, medication administration records are centralized for use by doctors and pharmacists. Reconciled by a trained pharmacist, these electronic records eliminate concerns about patients being prescribed medications that should not be taken together or that they are allergic to.
Hospitals are dedicated to helping people heal and become healthier. Mistakes can happen, and even the dedicated doctors and nurses are only human. However, new technology like bar codes for medication, automated packaging, centralized records, and CPOE prescription system eliminate most of the common mistakes. With these programs, the hospital mortality rate will drop drastically as we move into the next century of health care.
About the Author
Warren Tate is a full-time writer for higher ed blogs and journals nationwide.