Medication Errors in Nursing: Causes, Impacts, and Prevention

This study discusses the causes and reasons behind the increasing rate of medication errors in nursing, their impacts on patients' health, and ways to reduce these errors. It explores common medications and dispensary errors, their causes, and the negative impacts on patients. The study also highlights the strengths and weaknesses of previous studies on the topic and their impact on the wider community.

Research Problem Statement
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Background of the problem.........................................................................................................3
Research questions.......................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE RELEVANT TO THE PROBLEM........................................................................3
Some common medications and dispensary errors......................................................................3
Common causes of medication errors..........................................................................................4
Some negative impacts of medication and dispensary errors on patients’ health.......................4
Ways of reducing medication errors............................................................................................4
Strengths and weaknesses of studies relevant to the problem.....................................................5
Literature summary......................................................................................................................5
Impact of study on wider community..........................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
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INTRODUCTION
Medication errors in nursing can be defined as any preventable event that may lead to
inappropriate medication use as well as patient harm. This present study is going to discuss some
causes and reasons of increasing rate of such medication errors that are affecting patients’ health
to the great extent.
Background of the problem
Medication and dispensary errors are common that registered nurses experience and it
impacts on patients’ health, community and nurses’ profession in a negative manner (Ibrahim
and et.al., 2020). There are several common causes that lead to such medication problems such
as: poor communication, work load, lack of staff, alike sound of medicines and medical
abbreviation. Some common medication and dispensary errors that are affecting to wider
community are: improper dose, wrong time, and omission, giving drug to wrong patients or
administration errors. There are some ways by which medication errors can be reduced and
health of patients can be improved.
Research questions
1. What are some common medications and dispensary errors, registered nurses experience
the most?
2. What are common causes of medication errors?
3. What are some negative impacts of medication and dispensary errors on patients’ health?
4. How can medication clinical nursing errors can be reduced?
LITERATURE RELEVANT TO THE PROBLEM
Some common medications and dispensary errors
In regard to common medication errors that are becoming the reason of patients’ uncertain
death Gogazeh, (2020) said that prescription is the main medication error. Nurses sometimes
prescribe either too little or too much of a medication and patients do not receive the proper
treatment because of this. Tseng and et.al., (2018) argued and said that according to them the
main medication problem is all about administration in which nurses provide medication at the
incorrect time and to wrong patient because of work load and other reasons. Along with this
there are several other medication errors such as: wrong dose prescription because of alike
pronunciation and sound of drugs and medication preparation errors,
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Common causes of medication errors
There are several causes have been identified that are increasing medication errors and also
that are affecting patients’ health to the great extent. As per the view of AL-WorafiI, (2018)
nowadays distraction is the main common cause. Physicians and nurses in hospitals have many
duties and in the midst of this, they are asked to prescribe medicines. In the rush, medication
errors such as wrong doses, other administration medication errors occur.
Alshehri, Keers and Ashcroft, (2017) contradicted and said that the main common cause
of all types of medication errors is illegible writing as they prescribe write drug but due to their
writing, it becomes difficult to identify the name of drug and due to this same or alike sound of
drugs are being provided. Lack of staff working, work load, uneducated patients that sometimes
make nurses frustrated are some other causes of medication errors. So, lack of staff in nursing
and hospitals lead to negligence, forgetful, hurrying, carelessness and others.
Some negative impacts of medication and dispensary errors on patients’ health
It is stated that United States is the one that has higher rates of death because of medication
errors and it is found that in this state alone around 7000-9000 people die due to medication
errors. It is stated Rayhan., A and et.al., (2021), Medication dispensing Errors and Prevention
that medication errors lead to other problems such as itchiness, rashes on body, skin
disfigurement and others. All these impacts may temporary or permanently. But if medication
errors are being done to the great extent and major medication errors sometimes lead to death of
patients. Hodgkinson and et.al., (2017) also stated in this regard that medication and dispensary
errors can have mental impacts as due to taking over doses because of wrong dose prescription,
patients become frustrated. They have confusion, fear and other mental problems. It delays in the
patient’s treatment that affects community members because patients become dependent on
them.
Ways of reducing medication errors
There are several strategies that may help nurses and physicians in reducing all medication
errors that are having severe negative impacts on patients’ health. Weir, Newham and Bennie,
(2020) stated that health care system should employ numbers of staff as shortage of nursing staff
is causing most of the medication errors. Because of lack of staff, existing staff become
frustrated and in hurry they have to perform several functions. Other main strategy of reducing
all these errors is patients’ education as due to unawareness among patients, they become unable
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to understand about dosage, prescribed to them Chen and et.al., (2019) said that physicians and
nurses should specify indication for drugs that they have prescribed as it becomes easier for
patients and medical stores to understand about dosage and drugs. By avoiding using
abbreviation by nurses can also reduce such medication errors.
Strengths and weaknesses of studies relevant to the problem
This study on medication errors can help to community members, patients and nurses to
the great extent. The reason and strength of this study is it covers all areas such as causes of
medication errors, strategies for reducing errors. It is one of the most common clinical nursing
issue so, data can be gathered to the great extent (Schnock and et.al., 2017). There are several
studies have been conducted till now and on the basis of using different sources and search
engine such as Google scholar, study is being developed. This strength can improve overall
quality of people and economy of country as well. Other strength is, data that have been used in
this study are accurate and not old more than 5 years.
Weakness of this study is, it has not used numerical data or statistics as it focused on
qualitative or non-numerical data to the great extent. So, it can be said if this study had used
some statistics and numerical data then better outcomes have been got. All information that has
been gathered is secondary as by books and journals and articles all this information is being
used (Fisher, Medaglia and Jeronimus, 2018). It means there is a lack of some primary data. But
if primary data had been gathered then it may have consumed too much time.
Literature summary
It can be said that on the basis of above literature reviews that medication errors such as
wrong dosage of drugs, administration errors are affecting patients to the great extent. It is also
found that because of such medication errors, many patients lost their lives uncertainly and it
affects community as a whole. It can also be summarized from the literature that medication
errors are causes of some preventable actions. All causes are preventable and can be rectified by
becoming more focused. There are some areas that should be focused the most by nurses and
health care system and by doing so, all medication errors can be decreased to the great extent.
Some major areas that are found as causing factors of medication errors are: distractions, lack of
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staff, frustration, lack of awareness among patients and using abbreviation in prescriptions
(Ferrah, Lovell and Ibrahim, 2017).
It can also be said that medication errors can be decrease if staff members focus on some
areas and health care system provide workplace health and safety to nursing staff. Because the
main reason behind all medication errors is lack of staff or staff shortage because of unsafe
working environment. So, motivation to staff can solve all these problems and quality of lives of
people can be improved.
Impact of study on wider community
This study is being developed with the main aim of protecting patients and also making
nurses aware about this. By developing and conducting this research, nurses can know
consequences of medication errors along with areas on which they need to focus the most for
reducing all these errors. By developing and conducting this study, community members can
know the reason of medication errors and accordingly they can make themselves aware about
this. When community members know about negative impacts then for preventing themselves
they take extra care and they recheck all prescribed drugs and make sure with nurses. So, it is the
main reason of conducting this study is to prevent community members and patients against all
negative impacts (Assiri and et.al., 2018). At their level, they can take preventive measures if
they are being made aware about medication errors and their consequences.
Overall health outcomes can be achieved and it can also reduce patient stay rate in hospital
that can decrease overall cost of communities and healthcare system. So, kit can be said that this
study can help out to community and healthcare system to the great extent.
CONCLUSION
From above discussion, it has concluded that medication errors that are increasing in
hospitals are affecting patients’ health and community members as well. It has discussed some
common causes of all medication errors as by which changes can be done accordingly. It has
also discussed some impacts that some medication errors such as wrong doses, wrong time of
doses to patients is having on patients’ health. All causes of medication errors are actionable or
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preventable and by focusing on some areas, rate of medication errors can be reduced and it has
shown ways of reducing this rate.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Alshehri, G.H., Keers, R.N. and Ashcroft, D.M., 2017. Frequency and nature of medication
errors and adverse drug events in mental health hospitals: a systematic review. Drug
Safety. 40(10). pp.871-886.
AL-WorafiI, Y.M., 2018. Dispensing errors observed by community pharmacy dispensers in
IBB–YEMEN. Asian J. Pharm. Clin. Res, 11(11).
Assiri, G.A. and et.al., 2018. What is the epidemiology of medication errors, error-related
adverse events and risk factors for errors in adults managed in community care contexts?
A systematic review of the international literature. BMJ open. 8(5).
Chen, Y. and et.al., 2019. Evaluation of a medication error monitoring system to reduce the
incidence of medication errors in a clinical setting. Research in Social and Administrative
Pharmacy. 15(7). pp.883-888.
Ferrah, N., Lovell, J.J. and Ibrahim, J.E., 2017. Systematic review of the prevalence of
medication errors resulting in hospitalization and death of nursing home
residents. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 65(2). pp.433-442.
Fisher, A.J., Medaglia, J.D. and Jeronimus, B.F., 2018. Lack of group-to-individual
generalizability is a threat to human subjects research. Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences. 115(27). pp.E6106-E6115.
Gogazeh, E., 2020. Dispensing errors and self-medication practice observed by community
pharmacists in Jordan. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal. 28(3). pp.233-237.
Hodgkinson, M.R. and et.al., 2017. The impact of an integrated electronic medication
prescribing and dispensing system on prescribing and dispensing errors: a before and
after study. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research. 47(2). pp.110-120.
Ibrahim, O.M. and et.al., 2020. Role of telepharmacy in pharmacist counselling to coronavirus
disease 2019 patients and medication dispensing errors. Journal of Telemedicine and
Telecare, p.1357633X20964347.
Schnock, K.O. and et.al., 2017. The frequency of intravenous medication administration errors
related to smart infusion pumps: a multihospital observational study. BMJ quality &
safety. 26(2). pp.131-140.
Tseng, H.Y. and et.al., 2018. Dispensing errors from look-alike drug trade names. European
Journal of Hospital Pharmacy. 25(2). pp.96-99.
Weir, N.M., Newham, R. and Bennie, M., 2020. A literature review of human factors and
ergonomics within the pharmacy dispensing process. Research in Social and
Administrative Pharmacy. 16(5). pp.637-645.
Online
Rayhan., A and et.al., 2021. Medication dispensing Errors and Prevention. [Online]. Available
through < https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519065/>
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