As a nurse, I am acutely aware of the severe problem of medication errors in healthcare. These errors can occur at any stage of the medication process, from prescription to administration, leading to harmful or even fatal consequences for patients. My interest in this topic stems from my desire to improve patient safety and outcomes and prevent medication errors from occurring in the first place. In my professional experience, I have witnessed the devastating effects of medication errors firsthand. I have taken steps to prevent them through proper training, careful attention to detail, and collaboration with other healthcare providers.
Identifying Academic Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
To search for articles on medication errors, I used Summons, a search engine for the Capella University Library database, and selected databases such as CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PubMed. I used a combination of keywords related to the healthcare problem, such as medication errors, drug administration errors, prescription errors, medication safety, and adverse drug events, to select relevant articles. I also included additional terms such as patient safety, nursing, and healthcare quality to broaden the search and capture a range of perspectives on the topic. My search was restricted to peer-reviewed journals published within the last five years.
Assessing Credibility and Relevance of Information Sources
To fortify reliability, I opted for peer-reviewed journal articles published in the last five years, authored by renowned healthcare experts with extensive professional exposure. I ensured their relevance to the subject matter by verifying their inclusion of acknowledged facts and opinions on patient safety and quality care issues. Moreover, I demonstrated their lucidly defined intention and pertinent information about medication errors and patient safety.
Annotated Bibliography
Al Meslamani, A. Z. (2023). Medication errors during a pandemic: What have we learned? Expert Opinion on Drug Safety, 0(0), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/14740338.2023.2181954
The purpose of Al Meslamani’s article is to review the medication errors that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify the lessons learned. The author highlights healthcare professionals’ challenges in managing medication errors during the pandemic and discusses the contributing factors. The article also discusses the strategies that were implemented to prevent medication errors and the effectiveness of these strategies. The author concludes that the pandemic has allowed healthcare professionals to reflect on their practices and implement changes that can improve patient safety. This article is relevant to pharmacy practice and medication safety and provides essential insights for healthcare professionals involved in medication management during a pandemic.
Bowdle, T. A., Jelacic, S., Webster, C. S., & Merry, A. F. (2023). Take action now to prevent medication errors: Lessons from a fatal error involving an automated dispensing cabinet. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 130(1), 14–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2022.09.017
The article highlights the importance of taking immediate action to prevent medication errors in healthcare. The authors present a case report of a fatal medication error involving an automated dispensing cabinet (ADC) in a hospital setting. The article discusses the contributing factors to the error, including system-related issues, and highlights the need for healthcare organizations to prioritize medication safety. The authors provide recommendations for healthcare professionals, including double-checking medication orders and improving communication between healthcare providers. This article is relevant to healthcare professionals involved in medication management and highlights the potential consequences of medication errors. It emphasizes the need for immediate action to prevent medication errors and provides practical recommendations for improving medication safety in healthcare organizations.
Godshall, M., & Riehl, M. (2018). They are preventing medication errors in the information age. Nursing, 48(9), 56–58. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NURSE.0000544230.51598.38
This article aims to explore the impact of technology on medication safety and identify strategies for preventing medication errors in the information age. The authors discuss the benefits of using electronic health records (EHRs) and computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems in reducing medication errors. They also highlight the potential risks of these technologies and the importance of healthcare professionals’ involvement in maintaining medication safety. The article provides recommendations for healthcare professionals, including the need for ongoing education and training on medication safety and the importance of maintaining a safety culture in healthcare organizations. Integrating technology in medication management can potentially improve patient safety, but it requires a multidisciplinary approach and ongoing efforts to prevent errors. This article is relevant to healthcare professionals involved in medication management and highlights the role of technology in medication safety. It provides practical recommendations for preventing medication errors in the digital age.
Rodziewicz, T. L., Houseman, B., & Hipskind, J. E. (2022). Medical error reduction and prevention. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499956/
This article aims to provide an overview of medical error reduction and prevention. The article discusses the definition of medical errors, their impact on patients and healthcare organizations, and the contributing factors to these errors. The authors also review the strategies implemented to reduce medical errors, including the use of technology, education, and training, and the implementation of a safety culture. The article provides recommendations for healthcare professionals to prevent medical errors, including the importance of effective communication, medication safety, and the use of checklists. The authors conclude that reducing medical errors requires a multidisciplinary approach and ongoing efforts to maintain a safety culture in healthcare organizations. This article is relevant to healthcare professionals involved in patient care and highlights the importance of preventing medical errors. It provides a comprehensive overview of medical error reduction and prevention strategies and emphasizes the need for a systemic approach to improving patient safety.
Tariq, R. A., Vashisht, R., Sinha, A., & Scherbak, Y. (2022). Medication dispensing errors and prevention. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519065/
The aim at providing an overview of medication dispensing errors and prevention strategies. The article discusses the types of medication dispensing errors, their impact on patient safety, and the contributing factors to these errors. The authors review the strategies implemented to prevent medication dispensing errors, including the use of technology, standardized protocols, and medication reconciliation. The article provides recommendations for healthcare professionals to prevent medication dispensing errors, including the importance of effective communication, double-checking medication orders, and the use of barcode scanning technology. The authors conclude that stopping medication dispensing errors requires a multidisciplinary approach and ongoing efforts to maintain a safety culture in healthcare organizations. This article is relevant to healthcare professionals in medication management and highlights the importance of preventing medication dispensing errors. It provides a comprehensive overview of medication dispensing errors and prevention strategies and emphasizes the need for a systemic approach to improving patient safety.
Lessons from the research
My extensive research on patient safety involved scrutinizing peer-reviewed academic papers for relevant information. Analyzing an article by Al Meslamani (2023) on medication errors during a pandemic, I discovered that medication errors could be avoided even during pandemics. My annotated bibliography is a rich resource that helps me choose pertinent literature when tackling medication errors.
References
Al Meslamani, A. Z. (2023). Medication errors during a pandemic: What have we learned? Expert Opinion on Drug Safety, 0(0), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1080/14740338.2023.2181954
Bowdle, T. A., Jelacic, S., Webster, C. S., & Merry, A. F. (2023). Take action now to prevent medication errors: Lessons from a fatal error involving an automated dispensing cabinet. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 130(1), 14–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2022.09.017
Godshall, M., & Riehl, M. (2018). They are preventing medication errors in the information age. Nursing, 48(9), 56–58. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NURSE.0000544230.51598.38
Rodziewicz, T. L., Houseman, B., & Hipskind, J. E. (2022). Medical error reduction and prevention. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499956/
Tariq, R. A., Vashisht, R., Sinha, A., & Scherbak, Y. (2022). Medication dispensing errors and prevention. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519065/
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