Medication Safety Program

Medication Safety Program

Samir Sawli, PhDssawli@yahoo.com

Hexpert.sharepoint.com

Patient Safety is a concern from

• Wrong treatemnt• Wrong surgery• Nosocomial infection• Patient fall• Infant abduction• Medications…..

The 6 rights are now 8

• Rights of Medication Administration• 1. Right patient• 2. Right medication• 3. Right dose• 4. Right route• 5. Right time• 6. Right documentation• 7. Right reason• 8. Right response

• PATIENT SAFETY: Most medication errors occur during drug administration

• Medication Errors occur when the administration 5 or 8 rights are not followed

• The 2006 Institute of Medicine (IOM)1 Report entitled

• “Preventing Medication Errors” states that medication errors cause harm to 1.5 million people each year.

Why Put The Effort

Where is the weakest link

• There are many weak links which put the patient at risk

• Telephone orders• Verbal orders• Transfer orders• Look alike medication• Poor handwriting• Loose double checking of medications• Peri-operative orders• Many other weak links

Implementing Medication Safety is Must

• Medication error could kill..• All Clinical Staff involved in medication ordering

and subsequent steps must take annual medication safety training and test

• JCIA and almost all accreditation bodies stress on patient safety including risk arising from medication errors

• Beneficial for patient, organization and staff• Less expenses and law suits• Better image for the provider

How to implement

• Establish a policy• Include in policy high alert, look alike, high risk,

narcotics, electrolytes medications• Review transcription process• Review verification and double witness process• Review pharmacy actions• Encourage clarification at all levels• Communicate the policyEstablish an annual certification program mandatory

to all concerned staff

How IT System is Efficient

• Establish a medication safety on-line course• Establish an on-line quiz• Make mandatory and prerequisite for re-contracting• Establish non punitive environment to encourage

reporting system errors• Encourage Adverse Occurrence Reporting AOR

electronically• Implement AOR system, paper or electronic

Outcome

• Patient safety is increased• Staff are well prepared• Adverse Occurrence Reports AORS are being filled

and analyzed, system errors identified• Quality reports are populated • Organization image is acceptable• Less cost on patient and organization• Improved work environment for staff with less error

care

Need Help?

• We have done this program before and we can help you set it up with acceptable cost compared to non acceptable loss

• Contact us and we will be happy to put our hands together for better outcomes

• Hexpert.sharepoint.com• ssawli@yahoo.com