Chance, E. A., Florence, D., & Sardi Abdoul, I. (2024). The effectiveness of checklists and error reporting systems in enhancing patient safety and reducing medical errors in hospital settings-a narrative review. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 11(3), 387–398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2024.06.00
This source explains the importance and effectiveness of checklists in healthcare. They help ensure that critical steps are not missed, which is especially important in high-stakes environments like surgery and drug delivery. By standardizing procedures, checklists can significantly reduce the risk of errors and improve patient safety. They also enhance communication and coordination among healthcare teams, making sure everyone is on the same page
Austin, J. M., Bane, A., Gooder, V., Saltsman, C., Wilson, M., Stewart, K. B., Derk, J., Danforth, M., & Michalek, C. (2022). Development of the Leapfrog Group’s Bar Code Medication Administration Standard to Address Hospital Inpatient Medication Safety. Journal of Patient Safety, Publish Ahead of Print(6). https://doi.org/10.1097/pts.0000000000001052
This source explains that Barcode medication administration (BCMA) systems are a powerful tool in the fight against medication errors. When properly integrated into the healthcare workflow, they can significantly enhance patient safety. However, implementing and maintaining a robust infrastructure is crucial to realizing the full benefits of BCMA. This includes ensuring that all staff are trained, the hardware is maintained, and the systems are regularly updated and monitored.
Barnsteiner, J. H. (2019). Medication Reconciliation. Nih.gov; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2648/
This article explains why regularly updating and verifying a patient's medication list can prevent discrepancies and ensure accurate dosing. Medication reconciliation is an important factor in reducing medication errors. Not all patients are able to verify the medications they are prescribed and how much they are taking. The article also explains how electronic health records can make it easier to locate a patient medication list to eliminate errors. The electronic health record allows the provider to have access to this information to avoid potential harm.
Raeesi, A., Abbasi, R., & Khajouei, R. (2021). Evaluating physicians’ perspectives on the efficiency and effectiveness of the electronic prescribing system. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 37(1). https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266462321000052
This article explains that prescribing medication electronically helps to reduce medication errors. Policy makers can implement this change to encourage prescribers to use this method rather than writing prescriptions to avoid miscommunication and causing patient's harm. It streamlines the prescribing process, saving time for healthcare providers by providing alerts and access to a patient's medication history, it reduces the risk of medication errors, it helps in cutting down medical costs by optimizing medication use and reducing unnecessary prescriptions enhances the quality of services provided by ensuring accurate and timely medication management, enables healthcare providers to review a patient's medication history, which is crucial for monitoring interactions and making informed decisions, improving outcomes by ensuring the right medication is prescribed and administered, it leads to better health outcomes.
Overall, it contributes to lowering healthcare costs by improving efficiency and reducing errors. These benefits make the electronic prescribing system a valuable tool in healthcare settings.
Fuentes, A., Truong, M., Salfivar, V., & Adeola, M. (2022). Integration of Medication Safety Training and Development of a Culture of Safety in Pharmacy Education. Patient Safety, 4, 20–25. https://doi.org/10.33940/culture/2022.1.2
This article highlights educational and experiential opportunities throughout the continuum of pharmacy education, particularly emphasizing the collaboration between a college of pharmacy and a healthcare system. Various activities, such as discussions, medication event reviews, audits, and continuous quality improvement efforts, have equipped pharmacy learners to meet established standards. These activities foster a culture of safety from the beginning of their training. Recognizing the impact pharmacist have on the prevention of medication errors, their continuous education and training is imperative in the healthcare setting.