Original Articles: 2014 Vol: 6 Issue: 10
Medication error: The role of health care professionals, sources of error and prevention strategies
Abstract
The principal goal of medicine is to achieve positive therapeutic outcome while carefully minimizing patient risk. However, with the advancement made in the technology of drug discovery and formulation new medicines are flooding to the drug-market. Although newly launched medicines are opening lot more avenues and opportunities for patient care but also harboring new hazards. Medication errors (MEs) are common in health care system all over world. These errors are more dangerous especially in developing countries were patients’ right is not well protected. It contributes significantly to drug-related complications which range from mild damage to more severe event leading to hospitalization. Various health care professionals’ attitudes as well as system failure contribute to MEs. It has become necessary for every health care professional to understand the nature and sources of MEs and try to find solution. Sources of MEs are multi-factorials and multi-disciplinary that require careful detection, assessment and intervention. Several MEs preventive strategies were identified which if properly implemented will significantly improve health care delivery services. The purpose of this work was to highlight the role of health care professionals in MEs; identify the common sources of MEs and discuss the proper MEs preventive strategies.