Prof. Name

Date

Enhancing Quality and Safety

Medication errors are the most significant factor of preventable patient harm in the global medical care setting. Medication Administration Errors (MAEs) are one of the more frequently occurring medical mistakes, which have severe implications for patients, medical personnel, and medical organizations (Wondmieneh et al., 2020). The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the worldwide economic impact of drug errors is anticipated to be nearly 42 billion dollars yearly (Asefa et al., 2021). MAEs cause the mortality of around 7000 patients and cause approximately 400,000 occurrences of unnecessary patient damage in the United States each year (Wondmieneh et al., 2020). This study will examine a case illustrating the drug administration’s safety and quality challenges. 

Scenario 

Mr. John, a 52-year-old man with a diagnosis of cardiac myopathy, was hospitalized for prolonged care and treatments. A mistake in medicine administration happened during Mr. John’s hospitalization. Instead of his prescribed drugs, he was provided with the wrong medication by a nurse who misinterpreted the medication’s prescription. Tragically, the mistake was ignored until Mr. John’s condition progressively declined.  The drug he acquired by mistake had a detrimental interaction with his other medicines. He had an elevated cardiovascular rate and breathing problems, which exacerbated his condition. The physician and the medical professionals evaluated Mr. John’s condition, and the MAE was found as a possible cause. Mr. John was then given immediate medical attention to help manage his health.  This tragic event reminded the medical professionals in the healthcare setting of the importance of the safety of the medication. 

Factors Leading to Patient Safety Risk

MAEs can cause severe health hazards to patients. Many factors contribute to patient safety hazards during pharmaceutical delivery. Poor teamwork and inadequate communication and interaction among doctors and nurses are some of the contributing factors to MAEs. Lack of collaboration among medical personnel can result in medication errors (Tiwary et al., 2019). Mr. John’s medication was administered incorrectly due to a misunderstanding and lack of communication among nurses and specialists. Misunderstanding and a lack of multidisciplinary cooperation result in insufficient information exchange among physicians, nurse practitioners, and pharmacy professionals, which can harm patients and increase medical expenditures. To prevent such events, efficient interaction is vital (Tiwary et al., 2019).

Other recognized reasons for MAEs include errors in written correspondence, such as prescription drugs and record-keeping, drug delivery and inventory problems, such as pharmacy errors in dispensing, and facility management of stock. According to various studies, excessive job stress of nurses contributes to MAEs (Ayorinde & Alabi, 2019).  However, the majority of MAEs impacting patients in hospitals happen at the bedside and arise when a drug dose is provided inappropriately (Ayorinde & Alabi, 2019).

MAEs are more likely in patients who have complicated drug regimes. Many research investigations have found a link between pharmaceutical regimen complexity and an increased likelihood of mishaps (Jessurun et al., 2023). Mr. John’s history of cardiac myopathy most likely demanded an elaborate drug prescription. Using standardized verifying techniques can help reduce the chance of misunderstanding and mistakes. Medical professionals can minimize the chance of MAEs in people like Mr. John by highlighting the significance of verification of prescriptions (Jessurun et al., 2023).

Solutions Based on Evidence-Based Best Practices 

Increased incidents of MAE results in a financial burden on patient and the healthcare system. Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) educates medical professionals on the most effective drugs or medications for particular diseases (Patel et al., 2019). EBP allows clinicians to select medicines with fewer adverse drug reactions. EBP enables physicians to administer Mr. John’s drug regimen effectively. EBP can significantly reduce MAEs, such as duplicate and incorrect dosages, and save medical expenses (Ahsani et al., 2022). Here are several EBPs that can assist in reducing MAEs:

Medication Error Reporting System

Introducing the Medication Error Reporting System (MERS) aids in identifying potential sources or risk factors of drug mistakes. Medication error reporting provides valuable info