Medication Error: What Cost Do We Have to Pay?
Research shows that nearly 7,000 to 9,000 people die every year from medication errors. Can you even imagine that? It is not just numbered on a chart; every single number indicates a human life. Research has also revealed that the total expenses of treating patients with medication-associated errors surpass $40 billion annually.
Patients also experience physical and psychological pain and suffering in addition to the expensive cost. By adopting a medication dispensing system in their clinics, doctors can eliminate the error rate of medication. How so? Let’s explore the potential of this innovative system.
What Are Medication Errors?
According to The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error and Prevention, any preventable incidents leading to improper medication that cause patient harm falls under the category of medication error. This type of incident may be related to health care products, procedures, professional practice, product labeling, packaging and nomenclature, distribution, administration, prescribing, order communication, administration, and education.
What Are the Types of Medication Errors?
Omission
Wrong time
Prescribing
Improper dosage
Provide the drug to the wrong patient.
Wrong dose preparation
Why Do These Errors Occur?
Medication errors may happen at various steps throughout the patient’s care. For example, it can occur during ordering medication or during dispensing or even taking it. Research has shown that medication errors mainly happen during the prescribing stage. It mostly occurs when the healthcare provider writes the wrong prescription or frequency of dosage.
Though medication errors appear because of human error, it mainly indicates a flawed system with inadequate backup that cannot detect mistakes. Some of the common reasons behind medication errors are;
Illegible handwriting
Get confused over similarly named drugs
Wrong dose of medicines
Confusion over similar packaging
How Can You Restrain Medication Errors?
Indeed, it is a pervasive problem, but it can be preventable in most cases. An in-office medication dispensing system, also known as point-of-care, can allow doctors to dispense medications for their patients onsite. As a result, the doctor can communicate with their patients and let them understand the drug and dose and if the medicine has any allergic symptoms.
Therefore, before leaving the clinic, the patients get the necessary medicines. Consequently, they can start taking the medication immediately, improving overall patient adherence.
Reach Out to Us
Based on this information, we conclude that patient satisfaction and trust in the healthcare system decreased, and the financial cost of medication errors increased overall. At PD-Rx Pharmaceuticals, we provide error-free medication dispensing systems to doctors, and their clinics. Feel free to contact us, or you can call right away to know more!
**Disclaimer: The information on this page is not intended to be a doctor's advice, nor does it create any form of the patient-doctor relationship.