Medication Errors

New York health care practitioners probably know that thousands of people around the country die each year as a result of side effects from drugs. To track this, the Food and Drug Administration collects data from those who have adverse reactions while taking medication they have been prescribed by a doctor. However, an analysis of the database created using these reports and experiences has been found to be full of errors.

New York residents who have a loved one who receives medical care outside of a clinic may be interested to learn that serious medication errors have doubled within a 13-year period. According to a study, the most common mistakes were wrong medication errors and incorrect dosage.

New York residents may be interested in a report indicating a considerable increase in serious medication errors outside of the hospital setting. The problem is especially serious for caregivers and children, and it is important for anyone taking or dispensing medication to keep in mind some guidelines to reducing the possibility of an error.

Blood-thinning drugs like Coumadin and Warfarin save lives by reducing the risk of strokes when people could get blood clots. Anticoagulant drugs, however, need to be administered with care, and when dosages are wrong or the drugs react with other medications or even food, people could die of internal bleeding. Some patients in nursing homes in New York and around the country have been the victim of the poorly-monitored use of blood thinners.

New York residents who rely on pharmacies to obtain their medications may be interested to learn that in 2016 more than 4.4 billion prescriptions were dispensed. However, research shows that the majority of serious or life-changing pharmaceutical errors occur during shift changes. As such, a study found that the rate of errors could be reduced if communication between pharmacists is improved.

Although health IT systems are supposed to make the job of medical professionals easier while improving patient outcomes, a study indicates that these systems may be leading to an increase in medication errors in New York and around the country. The study, which was published by the ECRI Institute and the Pennsylvania Safety Advisory, found that unexpected problems with the new systems have developed, and issues appear to occur in a variety of ways.

New York patients may be interested to learn that those who have an atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat, have an increased risk of death if they are being given digoxin, a medication that could control the symptoms. According to the American College of Cardiology, the risk of death increases as the levels of digoxin in the bloodstream increase.

A study completed in Missouri indicates that while RNs and LPNs are both often tasked with medication reconciliation, RNs appear to be better at handling this job. Medication reconciliation is when a medical professional goes over patient data about what medications have been prescribed. The goal is to find any errors that may lead to an adverse event for a patient.