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[Failure modes and effects analysis in the prescription, validation and dispensing process]
E Delgado Silveira1, A Alvarez Díaz, C Pérez Menéndez-Conde
1Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, España. edelgado.hrc@salud.madrid.org
Summary
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) identified critical errors in hospital medication processes. This risk assessment helps prevent prescription and dispensing mistakes, improving patient safety.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
- Patient Safety Research
- Risk Management in Pharmacy
Context:
- Medication errors pose a significant threat to patient safety in hospitals.
- The prescription, validation, and dispensing process is complex and prone to errors.
Purpose:
- To systematically identify potential failure modes within the hospital medication process.
- To analyze the causes and effects of these failures.
- To develop strategies for error prevention and mitigation.
Summary:
- A Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) was applied to the entire medication process for hospitalized patients.
- Critical failure points were identified, including prescription errors, transcription mistakes, and dispensing inaccuracies.
- Risk analysis, including Hazard Scores, informed the development of corrective and preventative measures.
Impact:
- The FMEA successfully pinpointed critical aspects and stages where errors can occur in medication management.
- This analysis enables the implementation of targeted interventions to enhance the safety and reliability of the prescription-to-dispensing workflow.
- Proactive identification and mitigation of risks contribute to a safer healthcare environment for patients.
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