A11. Accuracy checking

Question 1

what are medication errors?

Answer 1

Medication errors are any Patient Safety Incidents (PSI) where there has been an error in the process of prescribing, preparing, dispensing, administering and monitoring or providing advice on medicines.

Question 2

common types of dispensing errors?

Answer 2

-sound and look alike drugs
-misreading prescriptions
-out of date medicines
-incorrect calculations
-incorrect patient details
-label cross over
-incorrect directions on label
-picking incorrect item

Question 3

factors that can lead to errors

Answer 3

-distractions
-environment
-interruptions
-workload
-staffing level
-level of knowledge
-time of day
-personal issues

Question 4

implications of dispensing errors

Answer 4

-harm to patient
-near miss incidents
-harm to organisation
-harm to individual

Question 5

how to prevent errors?

Answer 5

-error reporting
-communication to staff around common errors
-policies and procedures
-storage of medicines
-workflow