Let's do no harm: medication errors in nursing: part 1

In the current climate of global economic chaos and increasing healthcare litigation, it is perhaps simultaneously unsurprising and yet perplexing that patients continue to fall foul of healthcare systems worldwide. Major incidents in patient care such as serious misdiagnoses, medication errors, the proliferation of superbugs and malpractice persist leading to injury or death of patients, emotional trauma to their families and, understandably, a reduction in the public's confidence in the healthcare system not to mention the financial consequences. Many, if not most or indeed all, of these incidents are preventable and should not happen. Yet the systems in place within healthcare permit their occurrence, with worrying regularity, it would appear. The area that this paper will focus on specifically is that of medication errors. The worrying trends with regard to medication errors will be presented. Potential contributing factors will be examined. The specific aim of this paper is to illuminate the extent and severity of the problem of medication errors in practice and to explore elements within the practice setting that can compound the problem. The multi-faceted nature of the problem will also be considered.