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Making mistakes makes us human; we all make mistakes; even the most clinically competent and fully engaged medical practitioner can cause errors that can cost a life or have negative consequences. So, to maintain patient safety and avoid medication errors, it is essential that PricePro Online Pharmacy, nurses, and other healthcare professionals adhere to a multi-faceted approach to eradicate the possibility of any mistake happening in the first place.
Errors in medical science lead to loss of life and have a huge impact on the economy. All these compounds the urgent need to address this underappreciated and widespread problem. Here are five steps that you can employ to help reduce patient care errors:
Follow Proper Medication Reconciliation Procedures – If we look at the epicenter where various medication errors occur when a patient is transferred from one facility to another or from one unit to another. The medical practitioner needs to review all transfer document listing and medications. It is advisable to check with all sources, including the physician, the discharging or transferring facility or unit, and the patient or patient’s family—to prevent mistakes due to improper reconciliation. It is also advisable when a patient is transferred from one hospital to another. A thorough examination is essential, a proper documentation ensures that every minute detail is stored safely. So, when a patient is transferred from facility to another, the hospital staff has all the necessary information.
Double-Check Procedures: This is a process whereby a nurse on the same shift reviews all new changes to medications to ensure each patient’s order is noted and transcribed correctly on the physician’s order and the medication administration record (MAR), it is always advisable to use a chart-flag procedure to highlight new medication changes requiring verification, this method decreases the chances to minimal value.
Read Back to Another Professional – This is a procedure by which a nurse read back an order to the prescribing physician to ensure that the medication ordered is correctly transcribed. It is advised that two nurses carry out these processes, one nurse reads the order while the other nurse reviews the MAR to ensure accuracy.
Use Name Alert – The name of a similar-sounding patient can lead to a lot of confusion; that’s why it is advisable to use name alert on the front of MAR that can prevent such errors; the name alerts acts as a pointer to all the medical practitioners who have been assigned the responsibility to take care of that patient.
Document Everything – Believe it or not the documentation is the best way to keep everything in check; in the medical field, accurate drug labeling, legible documentation, and proper recording of administered medications are essential. It includes reading the medication’s prescription label and expiration date, so this is probably the best way to avoid medication error.
The use of any of the above five strategies can help prevent or reduce medication errors. It is important to remember that a medication error can result in a loss of life or lead to substantial economic loss. These errors can also negatively affect a healthcare facility’s reputation and lead to lawsuits that can cost the organisation a ton of money.
