Reducing medication errors in critical care: A multimodal approach

Authors

Rachel M. Kruer, Johns Hopkins Hospital, United States
Andrew S. Jarrell, Johns Hopkins Hospital, United States
Asad Latif, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United StatesFollow

Document Type

Review Article

Department

Anaesthesia

Abstract

The Institute of Medicine has reported that medication errors are the single most common type of error in health care, representing 19% of all adverse events, while accounting for over 7,000 deaths annually. The frequency of medication errors in adult intensive care units can be as high as 947 per 1,000 patient-days, with a median of 105.9 per 1,000 patient-days. The formulation of drugs is a potential contributor to medication errors. Challenges related to drug formulation are specific to the various routes of medication administration, though errors associated with medication appearance and labeling occur among all drug formulations and routes of administration. Addressing these multifaceted challenges requires a multimodal approach. Changes in technology, training, systems, and safety culture are all strategies to potentially reduce medication errors related to drug formulation in the intensive care unit.

Comments

Issue no. are not provided by the author/publisher. This work was published before the author joined Aga Khan University.

Publication (Name of Journal)

Clinical Pharmacology: Advances and Applications

Recommended Citation

Kruer, R. M., Jarrell, A. S., Latif, A. (2014). Reducing medication errors in critical care: A multimodal approach. Clinical Pharmacology: Advances and Applications, 6, 117-126.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_anaesth/460