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Medication errors in hospitalized cardiovascular patients.

Publication ,  Journal Article
LaPointe, NMA; Jollis, JG
Published in: Arch Intern Med
June 23, 2003

BACKGROUND: The Institute of Medicine's report To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System recommends pharmacist participation in patient rounds as an immediate approach to reducing medical errors. In the same report and in prior publications, cardiovascular drugs have been commonly associated with severe adverse drug events. METHODS: We systematically reviewed the experience of a clinical pharmacist on the cardiology wards between September 1, 1995, and February 18, 2000. We classified medication errors according to the type of error, medications involved, personnel involved, stages of drug administration involved, and time of year most frequently associated with errors. RESULTS: Among 14983 pharmacist interventions, 4768 were related to medication errors, or 24 medication errors per 100 admissions. The most common errors involved the wrong drug (36.0%) or wrong dose (35.3%), and cardiovascular medications were involved in 41.2% of the errors. Prescribers were associated with most of the errors, and the transition from outpatient to inpatient was the most common point in the system for the occurrence of these medication errors. Higher numbers of errors were also identified during the transition period of house staff, and the total number of errors increased during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Through the clinical pharmacist's identification and correction of medication errors, 2 areas of improvement that may reduce medication errors were identified. The first is ensuring accurate knowledge of a patient's outpatient medication regimen. The second involves improving the education and support of new interns during their initial months of training. This work exemplifies the approach recommended by the Institute of Medicine to reduce medical errors through systematic analyses rather than ascribing fault to individuals.

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Published In

Arch Intern Med

DOI

ISSN

0003-9926

Publication Date

June 23, 2003

Volume

163

Issue

12

Start / End Page

1461 / 1466

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Pharmacy Service, Hospital
  • Pharmacists
  • North Carolina
  • Medication Errors
  • Medical Staff, Hospital
  • Humans
  • Hospitals, University
  • General & Internal Medicine
  • Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
  • 3202 Clinical sciences
 

Citation

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LaPointe, N. M. A., & Jollis, J. G. (2003). Medication errors in hospitalized cardiovascular patients. Arch Intern Med, 163(12), 1461–1466. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.163.12.1461
LaPointe, Nancy M Allen, and James G. Jollis. “Medication errors in hospitalized cardiovascular patients.Arch Intern Med 163, no. 12 (June 23, 2003): 1461–66. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.163.12.1461.
LaPointe NMA, Jollis JG. Medication errors in hospitalized cardiovascular patients. Arch Intern Med. 2003 Jun 23;163(12):1461–6.
LaPointe, Nancy M. Allen, and James G. Jollis. “Medication errors in hospitalized cardiovascular patients.Arch Intern Med, vol. 163, no. 12, June 2003, pp. 1461–66. Pubmed, doi:10.1001/archinte.163.12.1461.
LaPointe NMA, Jollis JG. Medication errors in hospitalized cardiovascular patients. Arch Intern Med. 2003 Jun 23;163(12):1461–1466.

Published In

Arch Intern Med

DOI

ISSN

0003-9926

Publication Date

June 23, 2003

Volume

163

Issue

12

Start / End Page

1461 / 1466

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Pharmacy Service, Hospital
  • Pharmacists
  • North Carolina
  • Medication Errors
  • Medical Staff, Hospital
  • Humans
  • Hospitals, University
  • General & Internal Medicine
  • Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
  • 3202 Clinical sciences