Prescribing Errors Flashcards
What is defined as a medication error?
Any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm.
What are the four most common type of drug groups associated with preventable drug-related hospital admissions?
Anti-platelets, diuretics, NSAIDS and anticoagulants
When are health care professionals most likely to make medication errors?
When the health-care professional is inexperienced, inattentive, rushed, distracted, tired, depressed, orthopaedic surgeons, work in paediatrics, work in intensive care units, with elderly people, lack of knowledge/experience
How can medication errors arise?
Medication omitted, incomplete prescription, incorrect dose, incorrect frequency, incorrect transcription of a new blood chart
Which patients are more likely to receive a medication error?
Patients in a variety of drugs
Patients with multiple co-morbidities
Patients which require multiple specialists and care settings
Patients who require high risk medications
In very old and very young patients
What two processes result in prescribing errors?
Prescription decision and prescription writing
There is therefore less chance of the drug being timely and effective
More chance of harm compared to what is accepted in normal practice
What is the difference between a prescribing error and fault?
Fault - Poor choice in which drug to use and how
Error - Poor prescription writing process - wrong instructions
Give examples of prescribing errors
Wrong patient
Abbreviation
Missing instructions
Omission of signature
Incorrect drug
Illegible
Give examples of prescribing faults
Duplication
Allergy
Drug-drug interaction
What errors are defined as mistakes?
Errors that arise from poor planning or inadequate knowledge
What errors are defined as slips?
An imperfect execution of a well-formulated plan
What errors are defined as lapses?
When a correct act is omitted
Which tasks are more prone to error?
Tasks unfamiliar to the operator, performed under pressure, require calculations
Where can errors in decision making arise?
Knowledge of medication and allergy is poor
Knowledge of drug drug interactions is poor
What are the types of drug drug interactions?
Pharmacokinetic
ADME
Pharmacodynamic
Synergistic
Antagonistic
