Medication administration is an essential element of patient care that requires precise assessment, appropriate prescribing, and secure delivery. Medication delivery errors continue to be a significant problem in healthcare settings, despite efforts to improve medication safety. Poor communication between healthcare providers, including nurses, physicians, and pharmacists, is one of the primary causes of medication administration errors. Ineffective communication can lead to errors such as improper dosages, inaccurate routes of prescription administration, and misreading of medication orders, which can adversely affect patients (Ahmed et al., 2019). A lack of sufficient training or orientation is another fundamental cause of pharmaceutical administration errors among healthcare personnel. Inadequate education or training about medication administration rules and procedures, medication reconciliation, and technology such as electronic health records (EHRs) may increase the likelihood of medication errors. Moreover, Faraj Al-Ahmadi et al. (2020) assert that staff shortages and increased workloads can contribute to medication errors by raising the chance of staff exhaustion, stress, and burnout.
Symbols and abbreviations may also contribute to pharmaceutical administration problems. Medication errors or misunderstandings may result from using non-standard acronyms or imprecise handwriting. Lastly, improper design or management of drug storage spaces can result in medication errors, such as expired medications, improper storage temperatures, or a lack of suitable labeling.
Evidence-Based and Best-Practice Strategies
Evidence-based and best-practice strategies can be implemented to address safety issues or sentinel medication administration events. Standardization of the medication administration process is one of the best strategies. It involves standardizing medication administration practices, including medication preparation, verification, and administration. Standardization ensures that medications are administered safely, accurately, and consistently. Royce et al. (2019) Research shows that standardizing medication administration processes can help reduce errors and improve patient safety. Trakulsunti et al. (2021) state that standardized processes and protocols can also improve patient outcomes, such as decreased medication errors, increased patient satisfaction, and improved medication adherence. Standardization of the medication administration will ensure that medications are administered safely, accurately, and consistently.
Another strategy is the use of technology. The use of technology can significantly reduce medication errors. Research has shown that using electronic health records, computerized provider order entry systems and barcode scanning can reduce medication errors by up to 80%. Additionally, the implementation of clinical decision support systems has been shown to reduce medication errors by up to 70% (Liang et al., 2023). Electronic health records (EHRs) can provide alerts and reminders, reducing the risk of administering the wrong medication or dose. Barcode technology can also ensure the proper medication is given to the right patient. The use of technology will help reduce medication errors by providing alerts and reminders, and barcode technology will ensure that the proper medication is given to the right patient.
Another essential strategy is medication reconciliation. Medication reconciliation is comparing the medications a patient takes with the medications prescribed at admission, transfer, and discharge (Devani et al., 2022). According to a study published in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, medication reconciliation is a vital strategy to reduce adverse drug events and improve patient safety (Killin et al., 2021). The study found that medication reconciliation reduced the rate of adverse drug events by 36%, significantly improving patient safety. Medication reconciliation will ensure that patients receive the correct medication and dose, reducing the risk of medication errors. Moreover, staff education and training are also other critical strategies. Education and training of staff members on medication administration best practices can significantly reduce medication errors (Sarfati et al., 2018). Staff education and training will ensure that staff members know the proper medication administration techniques, interactions, and adverse reactions. Lastly, Interdisciplinary collaboration is also another strategy. Interdisciplinary collaboration involves working with other healthcare professionals to ensure safe medication administration (Trakulsunti et al., 2021). This approach includes pharmacists, physicians, and other healthcare providers, ensuring all medication orders are reviewed and verified before administration. Interdisciplinary collaboration will ensure that all medication orders are reviewed and verified before the administration.
Safety Improvement Plan for Medication Administration
This plan aims to improve drug administration safety and reduce the risk of pharmaceutical errors in healthcare settings. The approach is based on the recognized root causes of pharmaceutical administration errors and the application of evidence-based and best-practice techniques.
Education and Training for Healthcare Providers
The first component of the safety improvement plan is to educate and train healthcare professionals, such as nurses, doctors, and pharmacists. Frament et al. (2020) observed that training on medication safety and medication reconciliation considerably reduced prescription administration errors among healthcare professionals. In addition, the study indicated that adopting electronic health records (EHRs) increased drug safety by giving real-time medication information and decreasing the likelihood of prescription errors. The training will address policies and processes for drug delivery, medication reconciliation, and technology such as electronic health records. (EHRs). The training will be administered annually and required for all healthcare professionals. Pre- and post-training assessments will be utilized to evaluate the success of the training, and the results will be used to improve the training program.
Standardization of Medication Administration
The second component of the safety improvement plan is to standardize medication administration processes. Standardized medication administration processes include using standardized medication order sets, standard medication administration times, and standard medication administration routes. Alqenae et al. (2020) state that standardizing medication administration processes can significantly reduce medication errors and adverse drug events. The study found that hospitals that implemented standardized medication order sets, administration times, and administration routes experienced a 51% reduction in medication errors and a 31% reduction in adverse drug events. The use of standard order sets will help to reduce the risk of medication errors by ensuring that healthcare providers are using consistent and accurate medication orders. Standardizing medication administration times and routes will reduce the likelihood of medication errors by ensuring that medications are administered at the correct time and by the correct route.
Communication Improvement
The third component of the safety improvement plan is to enhance communication among healthcare providers. This comprises developing a standardized process for pharmaceutical orders, including clear and concise medicine orders, standard abbreviations, and legible handwriting. According to Akologo et al. (2019), enhancing communication and teamwork among healthcare practitioners through the use of a structured communication tool lead to a significant reduction in medication-related adverse events. Implementing a “read-back” procedure for medicine orders will be necessary. In order to guarantee the accuracy of the pharmaceutical order, the person receiving the order will read it back to the person issuing the prescription.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring and assessment are the fourth elements of the safety improvement plan. It includes establishing a mechanism for reporting medication errors and a method for reviewing medication errors. The reporting system will identify medication errors, and the resulting data will enhance the medication administration process. According to Usak et al. (2019), a systematic method of identifying the fundamental causes of errors has been identified as a crucial aspect of future error prevention. Reviewing pharmaceutical errors will consist of an inquiry into the error’s root cause and adopting corrective measures to prevent the error from occurring again.
Implementation of the Safety Improvement Plan
All healthcare practitioners, including nurses, physicians, and pharmacists, will be involved in implementing the safety improvement strategy. Training and instruction will be provided annually and necessary for all healthcare providers. The standardization of medicine administration methods and communication enhancement components will be accomplished by establishing and implementing policies and procedures. The monitoring and evaluation component will be achieved by constructing a system for reporting medication errors and implementing a procedure for reviewing medication errors.
Organizational Resources That Could Be Leveraged
Numerous organizational tools can be utilized to improve medication administration safety. Utilizing electronic health records is one resource that can be prioritized for its potential impact. (EHRs). Electronic health records (EHRs) provide a platform for healthcare practitioners to collect and retrieve patients’ medical information, including medication history, allergies, and drug interactions. By utilizing EHRs, healthcare practitioners may guarantee that patients receive the right drug at the correct time and dose, lowering the likelihood of medication errors. This can result in enhanced patient outcomes, decreased healthcare expenses, and better patient satisfaction.
Medication management software is an additional organizational resource that can be utilized. By giving notifications for medication interactions, allergies, and dosing problems, medication management software can help healthcare providers manage medication administration. This software can also assist healthcare providers in monitoring medicine consumption and refill requests, ensuring that patients receive their medications on schedule. By utilizing medication management software, healthcare professionals can improve the accuracy of medicine administration, reduce the risk of pharmaceutical errors, and increase patient safety. Additionally, staff training and education can be utilized to improve the safe administration of medications. As stated previously, this resource can assist healthcare professionals in comprehending the significance of safe medication administration and equipping them with the required skills and information to prevent medication errors. Additionally, staff training can aid healthcare practitioners in identifying potential dangers and developing countermeasures.
Conclusion
In conclusion, medication administration errors are a significant concern in healthcare settings, and various strategies can be implemented to reduce the likelihood of medication errors. Implementing an evidence-based and best-practice safety improvement plan that includes healthcare provider education and training, standardization of medication administration processes, communication enhancement, and monitoring and evaluation can improve medication administration safety and reduce the risk of medication errors. Utilizing organizational resources like electronic health records, medication management software, and staff training and education can also improve safe drug administration and reduce the chance of medication errors. By utilizing evidence-based and best-practice measures, healthcare organizations can improve the safety of medication delivery, reduce the risk of pharmaceutical mistakes, and increase patient safety.
References
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