Medication safety Flashcards
(14 cards)
What is a medication event?
A medication event is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer.
How many medication errors are made every year in England?
Over 237 million medication errors are made every year in England.
What are the avoidable consequences of medication errors?
Avoidable consequences cost the NHS upwards of £98 million and more than 1700 lives every year.
Source: BMJ Quality & Safety.
At what stage are most medication errors made?
~54% of errors are made at the point of administration.
What percentage of medication errors occur during prescribing?
~21% of errors are made during prescribing.
What percentage of medication errors occur during dispensing?
~16% of errors are made during dispensing.
What percentage of medication errors occur during transcribing and monitoring?
~9% of errors are made during transcribing and monitoring.
Is there accurate data for medication errors across all sectors?
Accurate, definitive data for medication errors across all sectors does not exist.
What is the aim of the Pharmacy (Preparation and Dispensing Errors - Hospital and Other Pharmacy Services) Order 2022?
The aim is to remove the threat of criminal penalties for inadvertent preparation and dispensing errors by pharmacy staff working in hospitals and similar settings.
What defences were already available under the 1968 Medicines Act?
Pharmacy professionals can use defences if they are responsible for an accidental or unintentional preparation or dispensing error.
Since when have pharmacy staff in registered pharmacies been able to use these defences?
Since 2018.
Which additional pharmacy settings are included in the Order?
The Order includes hospitals, care homes, some Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), some ambulance trusts, prisons, and other places where people are lawfully detained.
What is required for a pharmacy setting to benefit from the defences in the Order?
The setting must have a Chief Pharmacist (or equivalent) in post, with the appropriate skills, training, and experience.
