Any errors in the provision of medical care are dangerous and can result in serious consequences for the patient, including death. Since the use of medication is one of the main areas of health care and the main resource of care, all errors must be minimized. With improper administration of drugs and the wrong dosage, the patient can experience severe pain, which leads to irreversible changes in the body. Many patients fall prey to the wrong dosage of medications and experience lifelong consequences. Due to these cases, I understand that it is important to reduce the number of medical errors and introduce norms to prevent them. Thus, it was decided to find sources investigating this problem and ways to solve it.
Identifying Academic Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
To explore for articles, I used keywords such as “medication administration”, “medication errors”, “medication safety”. However, to find relevant sources, I turned to databases such as ProQuest Central and PubMed Central and searched among peer-reviewed journals.
Assessing Credibility and Relevance of Information Sources
The reliability of the sources is confirmed by the fact that they were selected from peer-reviewed journals published within the last five years. I made sure that each source cites other relevant sources and states the aims and conclusions of the study. Additionally, I checked whether the source is relevant to the topic, whether it has strategies to reduce the problem and the causes of its occurrence.
Annotated Bibliography
Mazhar, F., Haider, N., Ahmed Al-Osaimi, Y., Ahmed, R., Akram, S., & Carnovale, C. (2018). Prevention of medication errors at hospital admission: a single-centre experience in elderly admitted to internal medicine. International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 40(6), 1601-1613.
This article examines the problems of drug use and medical pharmacological errors among elderly patients. During treatment, many patients were subjected to inadvertent drug changes, which led to a deterioration in their condition. Thus, the number of drugs taken by people before and after hospitalization can be attributed to risk factors. To solve the problem, the authors of the article propose the use of a drug matching program led by pharmacies. This reduces the number of medical errors and risks after taking the wrong dosage. The authors believe that the regulation and reduction of errors are crucial for the treatment of patients and the development of the entire field of healthcare.
Gillani, S. W., Gulam, S. M., Thomas, D., Gebreighziabher, F. B., Al-Salloum, J., Assadi, R. A., & Sam, K. G. (2021). Role and Services of a Pharmacist in the Prevention of Medication Errors: A Systematic Review. Current Drug Safety, 16(3), 322-328.
The article considers the reasons for the discrepancy in the prescribed and administered dosage. Moreover, the authors point out the importance of strengthening the oversight of the clinical pharmacist over the implementation of drug treatment of patients. The authors note that the largest percentage of discrepancy occurs at the patient’s discharge, which raises the question of the need for intervention by a clinical pharmacist. At the same time, to solve the problem, it is proposed to introduce modern innovations and encourage the pharmacist to work more successfully.
Mieiro, D. B., Oliveira, É. B. C. D., Fonseca, R. E. P. D., Mininel, V. A., Zem-Mascarenhas, S. H., & Machado, R. C. (2019). Strategies to minimize medication errors in emergency units: an integrative review. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 72, 307-314.
The authors review the most favorable strategies for successfully minimizing medical errors. They indicate the need for an interdisciplinary team that will establish proper communication between medical workers and different departments. The task of the team will be determined by the implementation of strategies aimed at reducing errors in the medical treatment of the patient. The results show that the use of various strategies can reduce the number of errors and preserve the health of the patient. In addition, the authors note the role of the nurse in the disciplinary team and their participation as professionals capable of preventing error. Thus, the study aims to contribute to the healthcare field responsible for patient safety.
Isaacs, A. N., Ch’ng, K., Delhiwale, N., Taylor, K., Kent, B., & Raymond, A. (2021). Hospital medication errors: a cross-sectional study. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 33(1), 136-147.
The authors of the article consider the reasons for the increase in medical errors and ways to reduce them. Thus, they indicate that the adverse outcomes of drug treatment may have increased due to the expansion of hospitals and the increase in the number of patients. Moreover, it is concluded that medical errors are the cause of staff inexperience or incorrect communication between staff. To solve the problem, the authors propose the introduction of electronic drug approval and barcode drug administration technology. In their opinion, this can help to significantly reduce the risk of error.
Learnings from the Research
I was able to gather important information regarding patient safety when using medication. Moreover, I have gained more knowledge regarding the possibility of reducing errors. When writing a paper, an annotated bibliography will allow me to simplify the selection of resources and their application to research.
References
Gillani, S. W., Gulam, S. M., Thomas, D., Gebreighziabher, F. B., Al-Salloum, J., Assadi, R. A., & Sam, K. G. (2021). Role and Services of a Pharmacist in the Prevention of Medication Errors: A Systematic Review. Current Drug Safety, 16(3), 322-328.
Isaacs, A. N., Ch’ng, K., Delhiwale, N., Taylor, K., Kent, B., & Raymond, A. (2021). Hospital medication errors: a cross-sectional study. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 33(1), 136-147. Web.
Mazhar, F., Haider, N., Ahmed Al-Osaimi, Y., Ahmed, R., Akram, S., & Carnovale, C. (2018). Prevention of medication errors at hospital admission: a single-centre experience in elderly admitted to internal medicine.International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, 40(6), 1601-1613.
Mieiro, D. B., Oliveira, É. B. C. D., Fonseca, R. E. P. D., Mininel, V. A., Zem-Mascarenhas, S. H., & Machado, R. C. (2019). Strategies to minimize medication errors in emergency units: an integrative review. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 72, 307-314. Web.