Medication error

Its affects, impact on healthcare system, its prevention and causes.

Introduction

Medication Error

Medication error can be defined the wrongly or in-correct diagnosis for a particular problem experienced by the patient, prescription or drug administration, usage of expired drugs, or lack of knowledge for any drug that have been adversely effected the patient for a combination of certain drugs. These medication errors can lead to extreme opposite reaction to the patient's health that can cause some major damage to any of the organs of the body while this extreme condition can also lead to death of the patient that is the most unfavorable thing experienced by many healthcare facilities.

Discussion

Identify Some Causes of Medication Errors

There is no one particular reason for medication error to occur in the first place. There are many reasons for medication error to occur which includes improper hand written medical prescription, poor prescribing of drugs, medical staff that is handling the patient in the hospital is inexperienced which lead to some human errors because of which medication error occurs. Drugs with similar name causing confusion can also be one of the causes of medication error plus having not much knowledge about the patient's medical history which could tell that whether the patient is allergic or sensitive to some drugs can also lead to medication error.

Impact That Medication Errors Have On the Health Care System

Medication error consequences are not faced only from the patients end but doctors and nurses also face partial or complete stressful consequence for any meditational error done. Dr. Wolfe was the first person to explain the structure of the errors made and their subsequent consequences. Any health care place can turn up to be a stressful place where the chances of possible errors could occur extensively. The patient and their relatives require a much healthy and care-free environment from the personals engaged in any healthcare system. This expectation leads to some great burden of responsibilities over the shoulders of the responsible people like doctors and nurses which could lead to some minor or major medication errors. Dr. Wolfe also explained a research that is related to the disclosure of errors. Patients that are admitted to the hospitals demand to know about the errors that were made during their care in the very hospital, its consequences and how the responsible personals plan to resolve these errors. Patients and their family members also demand a clear and sincere apology for any medication error done. This act of error that is made un-intentionally could lead to not trusting the healthcare system of that country that might cause some serious medical issues in near future.

Doctors and nurses also go through some extensive stressful days when these medication errors occur when the patient is under their observation. Most of the time physicians are unwilling to close the matter of medication error due to their own uneasiness, anxiety and emotions. Patient might get cured after any medication error is observed and is treated accordingly but the physicians go through a ...