Medication errors can occur due to both human error and system errors healthcare

Summary

The video script highlights the alarming global scale of medication errors, advocating for the 'Principle of Eight Rights' in drug administration to prevent these mistakes. It outlines the process from physicians writing daily drug orders in a digital system without abbreviations, to pharmacists' checks, nurse verifications, and patient education. The script emphasizes the importance of barcode checks, proper preparation, administration, and disposal, ensuring patient safety and error prevention.

Takeaways

• 🚨 Medication errors are alarmingly high, with over a million errors globally and over 100,000 resulting in death.
• 📝 The principle of 'eight rights' for drug administration is crucial to prevent errors.
• 💻 In digital systems, no abbreviations are allowed for drug orders to avoid confusion.
• 👩‍⚕️ Physicians write daily drug orders, which are visible to pharmacists on a monitor for review.
• 👩‍🔬 Pharmacists write and approve special notes about all drugs, ensuring they are appropriate.
• 🏥 Drugs delivered from the pharmacy are checked by nurses and placed into drug boxes for administration.
• 🤒 Nurses check for drug interactions, food interactions, side effects, and safe dosages, especially for pediatric patients.
• 🏷️ A patient-specific barcode is used to verify identity details and drug information before administration.
• 🧪 High-risk drugs are checked twice before preparation, adhering to the principle of 'eight rites'.
• 🧼 Hygiene is emphasized with hand washing and glove wearing before and after drug preparation.
• 📚 Patient education is important; nurses inform patients about the drug, its use, and potential side effects, obtaining verbal consent.
• ⏰ Drugs are administered at the scheduled hour and rate, with no leftover drugs left near the patient.
• 🗑️ Proper disposal of syringes and needles is mandatory, using the designated yellow box.
• 🔄 An electronic check is required after drug administration, with reasons specified if there's a deviation from the schedule.
• 📝 Observation findings are recorded for reassessing the patient's condition if necessary.

Q & A

What is the global scale of medication errors according to the transcript?

The transcript states that there are more than one million medication errors globally, with over 100,000 of these errors resulting in death.

What is the 'principle of eight' in drug administration?

The 'principle of eight' refers to eight key practices for safe drug administration, which include writing the daily drug order, using a digital system with no abbreviations, pharmacist review and approval, checking for drug interactions and adverse effects, ensuring safe dosage for pediatric patients, using barcode verification, and following proper preparation and administration procedures.

Why is it important for physicians to write the daily drug order?

Physicians writing the daily drug order helps to ensure clarity and accuracy in medication orders, reducing the risk of errors that can lead to patient harm.

How does the pharmacist's role in the medication process contribute to safety?

The pharmacist reviews and approves the medication orders, writes special notes about all drugs, and checks for drug interactions, side effects, and safe dosage ranges, which helps to prevent medication errors.

What is the significance of barcode verification in the medication administration process?

Barcode verification is a crucial step that helps to ensure the correct patient receives the correct medication, dose, and route, by matching the patient's barcode with the medication's barcode.

Why are high-risk drugs checked twice before preparation?

High-risk drugs are checked twice to adhere to the principle of eight rites, which is a double-check mechanism to prevent errors in the preparation of these potentially dangerous medications.

What precautions are taken before administering drugs to a patient?

Before administering drugs, the nurse must wash hands, wear gloves, verify the patient's identity, and ensure the drug is prepared and administered immediately after preparation. The nurse also educates the patient about the drug, its intended use, and potential side effects, and obtains verbal consent.

How is the medication administration process monitored after the drug is administered?

An electronic check is required after the drug is administered. If the drug is given before or after the scheduled hour, reasons must be specified in writing, and a reassessment may be needed based on the drug's time of action and observation findings.

What is the importance of proper disposal of used syringes and needles?

Proper disposal of used syringes and needles into a designated yellow box helps to prevent needlestick injuries and the spread of infections.

How does the script emphasize the importance of preventing medication errors?

The script emphasizes the importance of preventing medication errors by highlighting the significant number of errors and deaths they cause, and by outlining the principles of eight rights as a means to prevent such errors.

What is the final message conveyed by the script regarding the role of healthcare professionals in medication administration?

The final message is that healthcare professionals play a crucial role in ensuring safe medication administration by following the principles of eight rights, which can help prevent medication errors and contribute to healthy care for all patients.