Errors, medication, management

People with low health literacy may not understand the health risks associated with errors in medication management. Shame or embarrassment about their low literacy may deter them from seeking help with medication instructions. Pharmacists can assess health literacy using nonobtrusive screening tests such as the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA), which is available in English and Spanish versions. This test includes items that assess the patient s ability to understand labeled prescription vials, blood glucose test results, clinic appointment slips, and financial information forms. 

De Angelo, M. (20(X)). Internet solution reduces medical errors. Health Management Technology, 27(2), 20. 

Redley, B. and Botti, M. Reported medication errors after introducing an electronic medication management system. Clinical Nursing 22 579-589, 2013. 

Redley B. and M. Botti. 2013. Reported Medication Errors after Introducing an Electronic Medication Management System, Clinical Nursing 22 579-589. 

Cincinnati Children s Hospital Medical Center, the 2003 recipient of the prestigious Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society s (HIMSS) Nicholas E. Davies Award of Excellence for Electronic Health Record (eHR), was able to reduce medication errors by 35% and decrease medication turnaround time by 52% through the use of an integrated clinical information system. 

Medication errors have been defined in many ways, depending on research methodologies, incident reporting systems, risk management, or total quality improvement systems. USP uses the broad definition of medication error from the NCC MERP ... 

A hospital trolley developed by Bayer and GMP is described. The trolley is equipped with a portable computer for the collection and management of patient information with the aim of reducing medical errors. The main component is a sandwich stracture reaction injection monlded in Bayer s Baydnr 60 PU and consisting of a cellnlar core and a smooth skin. Other components are made of PP, PMMA or polycarbonate. Developments by GMP in the nse of PU foams in refrigerator manufacture are also reviewed, and tnmover fignres are presented for the Company. 

Economic outcomes Costs associated with sleep loss and fatigue (e.g., fatigue related medical errors) Cost-benefit analyses of fatigue management programs Hospital costs Patient care costs Direct and indirect costs... 

It was reported by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) in 2000 that fewer than 5 percent of physicians were writing prescriptions electronically. In a 2000 white paper entitled, A Call to Action Eliminate Handwritten Prescriptions within 3 Years, ISMP recommended the use of electronic prescribing by clinician order entry to reduce medication errors (ISMP, 2000). CPOE can help to reduce errors in the delivery and transcribing of orders to the pharmacy where the orders are filled. Order management can be used to control inventory and alert pharmacy staff (and even the patient) of the status of a prescription. For example, some national chain pharmacies have the capability of alerting the patient by phone or e-mail if a prescription is ready or if other action needs to be taken before the prescription can be picked up. The system should also be able to report results, such as the number of prescriptions filled, the revenue generated over a specified time, and medication error reports. 

How might poor human resources management in pharmacies cause (a) job stress and burnout, (b) medication dispensing errors, and (c) pharmacist shortages ... 

About the Author Dr. Tipton is Associate Professor of Social and Administrative Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Mylan School of Pharmacy at Duquesne University. Dr. Tipton earned an MBA in marketing and a Ph.D. in management from St. Louis University. Prior to obtaining his degree, he practiced pharmacy for 20 years and was an owner/partner in a four-store pharmacy operation. His current research interests focus on customer service, medication errors, and judgment. Dr. Tipton teaches courses at Duquesne University in management, marketing, and customer service. 

Riskprevention/mModijication. Pharmacy managers may not be able to eliminate a risk, but they can take steps to minimize the likelihood of its occurrence. All pharmacies take steps to avoid medication dispensing errors. This commonly involves the development of policies and procedures to prevent errors and improve patient safety (see Chapters 7 and 30). 

PREVENTING AND MANAGING MEDICATION ERRORS THE PHARMACIST S ROLE... 

Preventing and Managing Medication Errors The Pharmacist s Role 521... 

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