Question

1. Describe the medication error. Include possible reasons the medication error occurred, and which medication administration right was violated.
2. Identify the changes in patient condition the nurse should have acted upon and what interventions should have been performed by the nurse that could have prevented the patient outcome.

Answer 1

According to NCCMERP (National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention), medication error refers to the preventable instance that may lead to improper medication for the patient or harm the patient while the healthcare professional, consumer, or patient is in the control of medication.

Major reasons that lead to medication errors include:

• improper or insufficient communication between doctors
• Improper communication between patient and medication provider
• confusion over the drug name that sounds alike or looks alike.
• Confusion over a drug due to medical abbreviations.

The five rights of the medication administration are:

• the right pateint: The medication should be given to right patient for which medication is assigned to.
• the right drug: The right drug is crucial in the medicine administration as most error comes from using improper durgs.
• the right dose: The proper dosage of drug is necessary as per the prescription.
• the right route: Route of drugs are various such as orgal or through injection and important for the proper action of the drug
• the right time: The proper time of administration of drug is crucial in some critical cases.

Medication error occurs in case of voilation of any of the above rights.