HCAD301Unit 6 AssignmentAmerican Military UniversityHCAD301I, Lecture notes of Accounting

Download HCAD301Unit 6 AssignmentAmerican Military UniversityHCAD301I and more Lecture notes Accounting in PDF only on Docsity! HCAD301 Unit 6 Assignment American Military University HCAD301 Introduction “Each year, in the United States alone, 7,000 to 9,000 people die due to a medication error. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of other patients experience but often do not report an adverse reaction or other complications related to a medication” (Tariq, 2021). Medication errors within the healthcare field is a major issue that has only gotten worse. Medication errors can be defined as any event that could have been preventable involving a medication that has caused harm to a patient. This a broad definition and there is a reason for that. There are endless reasons why there could be a medication error. Also, there are endless precautions to ensure that medication errors do not occur. Medication errors are avoidable. Physicians, pharmacists, and patients need to become cognoscente of possible errors to ensure the best possible outcome for patient care. Ultimately, medication error can result in the death of a patient and this topic needs drastic overhaul to prevent such travesty. Types of Medication Errors Medication errors can happen in an instant with almost no one blinking an eye. It is as easy as a doctor's poor handwriting on a script. At the same time, major concerns are surrounding this issue as there is no system in place to catch human errors. Human errors are inevitable. Yes, physicians and pharmacists should be checking their work vigorously, but mistakes are bound to happen. These mistakes can happen in a multitude of ways. The most common ways are illegible handwriting on a prescription slip from the ordering provider. There are multiple drug choices in the drop-down menu when providers are ordering in the electronic health system. Physicians can easily select the wrong drug, dose, or instant instead of extended-release. Many drugs have similar names. This causes confusion or just honest mistakes where the provided selects the wrong one. Pharmacists can select the wrong medication as there are similar packaged medications. In an inpatient setting where there is an emergency, there are verbal orders. In this instance, the nurse may not hear the physician correctly, the physician could choose the wrong medication in an emergency, or the wrong dose could be selected based on the patient's weight. The worst is there is no backup system to catch these errors. Unless the pharmacist, nurse, or technician notices the order is wrong, the patient is going to receive the wrong medication. When Do These Errors Occur? In research from Tariq (2021), the steps when medication errors occur are ordering or prescribing, documenting, transcribing, dispensing, administering, and monitoring. As stated previously, the easiest way to make an error is in the ordering stage which accounts for over half of the medication errors. There is a five-step rule that healthcare workers are supposed to follow to ensure that medications are correct. The five steps are right medication, right dose, right route, right patient, and the right frequency. By following these steps, many human errors can be avoided. “Data show that nurses and pharmacists identify anywhere from 30% to 70% of medication-ordering errors. The total cost of looking after patients with medication-associated errors exceeds $40 billion each year, with over 7 million patients affected” (Tariq, 2020). In the grand scheme of things, that sounds like a lot of the errors are being caught. In reality, they are not being caught and these errors are costing patients their lives. If not their lives, they could have severe adverse reactions to these medications, such as allergic reactions, jaundice, anemia, kidney damage, and the list can continue infinitely depending on the medication and the patient.  Physicians Medication reconciliation with patient  Pharmacists Review physician’s orders that for odd is necessary to find out what dosing or controlled substances medications the patient is currently taking  Review patients current medications for adverse reactions  Verify patients allergies at every appointment  Follow up with doctor if you believe there is a mistake. Do not always take  Verify patient is taking current matters into your own hands. medications correctly  Counsel patients appropriately on new  Research contraindications (if unsure and old medications as patients can consult with Pharmacist) forget  No longer use paper scripts  Speak up when work load becomes too much  Double check for sound alike/look alike medications  Separate look alike/sound alike medications to avoid confusion  When using electronic drop-down selections, be vigilant to ensure you  Ensure patient leave with the proper are selecting correct dosing directions for medication that was prescribed to them  All new medication list will be printed out before patient leaves the office  While checking prescriptions before final approval, there will be a  These list will be review in order to check for mistakes by nursing staff designated no talking/no distraction area to ensure a mistake free zone to work in  Medication orders should be done with no other distractions  If script is illegible, send script back immediately for remediation. Wrong  Do not answer phone calls while ordering medications scripts will result in a patient safety report (PSR)  Abbreviations are no longer acceptable as they lead to errors  Approach all prescriptions with caution to ensure their authenticity  Diagnosis must be listed on script  Ensure the diagnosis matched the medication order. If it does not, reach  Illegible writing leads to errors as well, if written order is mandatory, out to provider immediately to check accuracy must be checked by second provider to ensure accuracy and legibility  Remain alert for any medication that may be of high risk  Continued errors will result in write- up or loss of employment as this is a National Safety Goal under The Joint Commission Addition Helpful Tips  A reporting system will be adopted for pharmacist and physicians to report any errors to.  Electronic systems will be looked at to ensure there are safety protocols put in place to avoid these types of errors happening in the future.  All providers and pharmacists need to be aware and on their toes when dealing with the oldest demographic. Most drug errors can happen in those demographics due to confusion. Their medication lists are the longest and require the most due diligence.  Providing contact numbers to patients to discuss their medication concerns is vital. The system is failing the patients and it is a team effort to get back on track. With the help of all team members, the amount of medication errors can be lowered and lives can be saved.