Medication dispensing errors and prevention (3 July 2022)

Summary

Each year, 7,000 to 9,000 people die as a result of a medication errors in the US, and the total cost of looking after patients with medication-associated errors exceeds $40 billion. Alongside this financial cost, adverse events caused by medication errors also cause patients significant psychological and physical pain and suffering.

The article aims to:

• identify the most common medication errors.
• review some of the critical points at which medication errors are most likely to occur.
• outline strategies to prevent medication errors occurring.
• summarise multidisciplinary team strategies for decreasing medication errors.