The business case for medication safety

The decision to invest in a medication-safety system should take into account not only implementation costs but also reduced hospital costs for treating complications resulting from medication errors and potential liability. Medication-safety programs should be analyzed and planned the same as any other investment. Providers should base their projected return from a medication-safety system on intangible benefits to the organization as well as an ROI calculation. Investment in medication-safety systems can be justified in terms of risk management and legal liability.