5 Reasons That Can Lead to A Medication Error

Medication error as the name appears to suggest refers to mistakes occurring in prescribing, dispensing, and administering medicines. Each year medication errors put hundreds of Americans at risk.

A good way to prevent medication errors is to be actively involved in your treatment. Don’t hesitate to inquire further. Ask your healthcare provider questions if something bothers you. Best yet, educate yourself on your medication, learn about its side effects, and what exact purpose it serves.

When the medication is scrutinized on both ends, the margin for error in physician dispensing is significantly slimmed. With the advent of the industry, newer and better physician dispensing solutions are offered every day.

Before we plunge deeper into that, let us first learn more about why medication errors, aka one of the physician dispensing industry’s major trouble.

Why Do Medication Errors Happen?

Now that we have learned what medication errors are, we should discuss a few important reasons why they occur in the first place.

  • Mistaking A Patient for Another

It is alarmingly common for nurses and other healthcare providers to mix up patients. The abysmal work pressure, long hours, and staff shortage are the primary reasons behind this. Giving the wrong medication to a patient is going to worsen their situation and can even cause death.

Routine medication checks will help prevent such errors to a great extent.

E-prescriptions too are a useful physician dispensing solution.

  • Under/Over-dosing

Several medicines can be life-threatening when administered in the wrong dosage. Insulin is a prime example. Nurses should make sure, double and triple-check if necessary that the dosage to be administered is in the right amount.

  • Insufficient Information

If the nurse doesn’t have information on co-prescribed medicines, the dose-response relation and allergic reactions, it is likely that a medication error will result.

  • Miscommunication

Miscommunication is a major reason behind medication errors. It can happen in various forms. Number one on the list is illegible writing on the prescription (shocking, we know). Other times if the prescription is repeated to someone orally, they might confuse similar-sounding drugs. In some cases, health care providers are unable to discern medical abbreviations correctly (it’s not like they have urban dictionary for med school slang).

  • Patient confusion

Often the elderly finds it difficult to follow instructions properly. One should go over the treatment plan with them a couple of times. Ask them to repeat it back to you until they’ve gotten the hang of it. If the patient requests so, you should also print the instructions for them in writing.

Also, make sure the caregiver accompanying them (if any) is made aware of the prescription too.

PD-RX Physician Dispensing, Oklahoma

At PD-RX Pharmaceuticals, we pride ourselves on our best-in-class point-of-care dispensing software. Our services also include a complete line of pharmaceutical repackaging for physician dispensing. To know more call, us at (800) 299-7379.

**Disclaimer: The information on this page is not intended to be a doctor's advice, nor does it create any form of patient-doctor relationship.

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