THE MISTAKES
Medical mistakes are the third leading cause of death in the United States and many of those mistakes revolve around medication errors. In fact, medication errors are one of the most common healthcare errors in the US, leading to an estimated 7,000 annual deaths.
In hospitals, medication errors are far too common. They come in the form of not giving the patients the correct medicine, giving them the wrong dosage of their medications, or simply not giving them their required medications. Studies show that the most commonly reported causes of medication problems have to do with slips and lapses, knowledge-based mistakes, and deliberate violations.
Doctors and nurses also cited problems in written communication, medicine supplies and storage, overworked staff, and interruptions while administering medications.
Prescription issues can happen if a doctor fails to obtain a full patient history, including medication the patient is currently taking. If a doctor prescribes a medication that is bad for the patient or has negative reactions with another medication the patient is on, the outcomes could be devastating.
Pharmacy errors are more common than people realize and can stem from the pharmacists or pharmacy technicians cutting corners and taking shortcuts. We understand that pharmacies are busy, but if their staff decides to override built-in safety measures, they are putting patients at risk.
We want to note that in-home healthcare professionals should perform at the same high quality of care that they would in a healthcare facility. They are often tasked with ensuring patients take their correct medications and doses throughout the day. A failure to do so properly could result in further harm to their patients.
