Technology driven medication error prevention strategies

Alharbi, A. I., Gay, V., Alghamdi, M. J., Alturki, R., & Alyamani, H. J. (2021, June 28). Towards an application helping to minimize medication error rate. Publishing Open Access research journals & papers | Hindawi. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/misy/2021/9221005/

One of the most important strategies to prevent pharmaceutical errors has always been to use technology. A well-maintained computer system is less likely to make mistakes or become exhausted, as opposed to humans, who can make mistakes with little distractions that can have serious effects. To strengthen medication administration, a facility can implement barcoding, which retrieves the patient's whole medical history and prescriptions. Again, by implementing an AI-based system that can provide basic medical information for the benefit of nurses and doctors acting as a reference point, education gaps on specific medications can be filled. This article investigates the practicality of AI-based systems that are expressly designed to operate as support systems for doctors and nurses by providing knowledge on common medications, thereby considerably reducing medication errors.

Maxik, K., Kimble, C., & Coustasse, A. (2021, May 19). Detect adverse events and medication errors using technology. Pharmacy Times. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/detect-adverse-events-and-medication-errors-using-technology

Medication administration is related to dispensing in that it requires a nurse to obtain a patient's prescription from the pharmacy before administering it. This source emphasizes the importance of having a drug administration system or application that is linked to pharmacy dispensation and compares the patient's prescription to the nurse's request. Connecting the electronic health system to the pharmacy dispensation system ensures that when a prescription is requested for a specific patient, the nurse requesting the prescription should key in the patient's identifiers to pull up their prescriptions, reducing the error of incorrect patient administration. The article emphasizes the necessity of integrating systems in order to increase patient safety and reduce medication errors.

Bereta, R. P., & Jerico, M. C. (2019). Implementing technologies to prevent medication errors at a high-complexity hospital: Analysis of cost and results. SciELO - Brazil. https://www.scielo.br/j/eins/a/56m5gPm38QwGPcNcJYkDcvD/?lang=en

Preventing medication errors using technology is not without cost. It is critical to learn about the economic implications of various systems in order to better comprehend and assist hospital administrations in making decisions about which systems to use. The research looks into the costs and effectiveness of technological systems for detecting errors. The cost of implementing technological methods to reduce errors is compared to the annual error rate reported since the technology was implemented to gauge the systems. Medication errors have resulted in considerable increases in healthcare expenses, as well as diseases and higher mortality. The study examines all of these cost areas and the implications, providing insight into the systems' viability.