Minor errors on the part of the medical staff can lead to grievous results for general people. These errors can stem at any point in the medical journey, from recommending a particular drug to its administration. Regulatory bodies have implemented various guidelines in the face of the seriousness of the issue. Today, we will take a look at the most common causes of medication errors and the ways to avoid them:
Causes Of Medication Errors
- Improper storage conditions or faulty preparation mechanisms can cause a deterioration in product quality.
- Whenever we experience a health hazard, be it a fever or stomach ache, we seek the advice of medical experts who prescribe medications for a particular duration. However, prescribing them for a longer or shorter duration than what is ideal can lead to health problems.
- A medical expert might select bottles or syringes having incorrect strengths, and when combined, this can lead to fatal circumstances.
- A faulty rate of administration is standard for medications like infusions or IV push. It can lead to adverse drug reactions like vancomycin flushing syndrome or tachycardia.
- Incorrect dosage might take the shape of omitting, giving extra doses, overdosing, or underdosing. This can lead to mortality and morbidity problems.
- Compounded medications are synonymous with incorrect preparation errors. In such cases, a specific reconstitution using a diluent is needed. If the medicine is not prepared correctly, it might alter its effect.
- An incorrect form of dosage administration, such as extended-release or immediate release, can result in the patient receiving a faulty dosage.
- Often, patients might be allergic to a particular substance. If the medical specialist prescribes a medicine containing a known allergen, they must inform their patient. It is also their responsibility to check patients’ medical history charts. Doing otherwise can lead to adverse reactions.
- Medical practitioners are expected to exercise complete attention while dealing with a patient. Being distracted while prescribing or administering a medicine can be fatal for the patient. There are countless cases of doctors making massive mistakes at the operation table.
- Doctors are infamous for writing prescriptions featuring illegible writing. Patients often need help understanding the abbreviations & symbols, leading to improper dosage and, worse, having the wrong medicine altogether.
Tips To Prevent Medication Errors
As a patient, if you are trying to purchase medicines based on a prescription, then it’s necessary to carry out due diligence. Often, medicines share similar names and come in alternative names to cater to multiple uses. If you have difficulty comprehending a prescription, contact the medical practitioner who prescribed it. If you cannot reach them, you can seek a pharmacist’s advice or look it up in any online medical directory. Doctors and other health experts are also advised to be particularly attentive while treating a patient, administering medicines, or writing down a prescription.
Conclusion
Experiencing health hazards due to medication errors can be extremely painful for both the patient and their family. But if you ever find yourself in such a situation, seek the guidance of Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein experts.
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