Verified Document

Preventing Medication Errors: According To Essay

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...

Third, the improved labeling and packaging of medications will ensure that "drug information is communicated clearly and effectively" to physicians and their patients while also improving "drug nomenclature. . . drug names. . .abbreviations and acronyms" ("Preventing Medication Errors," 2006, 3).
As to the impact of these and other recommendations on health care in the U.S., by instituting these changes, physicians, nurses and other health care professionals will make less costly mistakes and will guarantee that patients are receiving exactly what is prescribed for them, thus lowering hospital costs and the possibility of overdose or even death from being given the wrong medication for the wrong ailment.

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).…

Sources used in this document:
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.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Medication Errors
Words: 1363 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Medication Errors Since the research materials are provided to you by human beings, and may be based 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.

ICU Medication Errors
Words: 2150 Length: 6 Document Type: Literature Review Chapter

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

Implementing RCA to Eliminate Medication Errors
Words: 765 Length: 3 Document Type: Discussion Chapter

Root Cause Analysis (RCA)Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is a structured methodology for analyzing serious adverse events. According to Wachman et al. (2018) RCA is a quality improvement tool that defines the main problem and identifies the actions necessary to eliminate the problem permanently. The objective is to ensure that the organization does not keep addressing minor symptoms of the problem (Leveson et al., 2020). To avoid fixing minor issues all

Medication Error and Its Causes Reduction and Prevention
Words: 2073 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

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

Technology in Nursing Impacting Medication Administration
Words: 1541 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Medication changes with technology: A description and detailed review of five clinical electronic systems that correlate with the process of medication administration technology. Computerized physician / prescribed order entry (CPOE) In 2000, following the huge spate of accidental death (approximately 2 million) that occurred nationwide, the Department of Health Services (DHS) surveyed hospitals in California regarding the nexus of patient safety and technology and which technological system they had it in mind

Medication Reconciliation Evidence-Based Practice and the Procedural...
Words: 6404 Length: 20 Document Type: Essay

Medication Reconciliation Evidence-Based Practice and the Procedural Education of Nurses Medication reconciliation is a critical issue in healthcare reform. Today, improvement in this area of treatment could have a transformative effect on the current practices of nursing and medicine administration. The discussion, literature review and research tests that are conducted hereafter will outline the implications of medication reconciliation; justify the call for improvement in this treatment area; and offer support for the

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now