Session 1

Question 1

Understand the difference between the person approach and system approach to medical errors

Answer 1

Person approach - abhorrent mental processes, countermeasures = fear, retraining, litigation, name and shame
System approach - errors seen as consequences, unable to change human condition, countermeasures = barriers, safeguards

Question 2

Understand the Yellow Card Scheme for reporting medicines

Answer 2

Report:
Black triangle drugs
Unlicensed herbal preparations
Established products, vaccines
All paediatric reactions

Question 3

Define a serious reaction

Answer 3

Results in or prolongs hospitalisation

Fatal/life-threatening/disabling/incapacitating

Question 4

Be aware of the major underlying causes of poor prescribing and see how these causes relate to each other

Answer 4

Mistakes - errors in planning actions:
Knowledge based, rule based
Skill-based errors - errors in executing correctly planned actions:
Slips, lapse