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We are always the same age inside.
~Gertrude Stein
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Tips to Help Seniors Reduce Medication Errors
(ARA) - For many seniors, taking medication is part of their daily
routine. The last thing that they need is to worry about a medication
error. Unfortunately, errors do occur, but they can be prevented through
special attention and careful monitoring.
In 2002, there were 192,477 medication errors documented by United
States Pharmacopeia (USP), a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that
works to promote the safe and proper use of medications. The group’s
MEDMARX medication error database shows that the vast majority of
medication errors were corrected before causing harm to the patient.
However, 3,213 errors, or 1.7 percent of the total, resulted in patient
injury. Of this number, 514 errors required initial or prolonged
hospitalization, 47 required interventions to sustain life, and 20
resulted in a patient’s death. Compared with 2001 data, a smaller
percentage of reported errors resulted in harm to the patient (1.7 percent
in 2002 versus 2.4 percent in 2001).
The 2002 MEDMARX data report revealed a number of significant findings
of interest to seniors, including:
* A majority (55 percent) of fatal hospital medication errors reported
involved seniors.
* 9.6 percent of prescribing errors to seniors were harmful.
* The most harmful medication errors to seniors were wrong route (7
percent), such as a tube feeding given intravenously, and wrong
administration technique (6.5 percent), such as not diluting concentrated
medications.
* Omission errors (43 percent), improper dose/quantity errors (18
percent), and unauthorized drug errors (11 percent) were the most common
types of medication errors among seniors.
United States Pharmacopeia advances public health by ensuring the
quality and consistency of medicines, promoting the safe and proper use of
medications, verifying ingredients in dietary supplements, and promoting
safe medication use at the national, state and local levels.
As part of its work in patient safety, USP has created a list of tips
for seniors and their caregivers on how to better manage the medication
use process and decrease the risk of medication errors.
- Check the label when you get a prescription to verify that you’re
receiving the proper medication. If possible, read back the prescription
to your pharmacist or health care provider.
- When possible, keep all medication in original containers. >
- Know what to do if you miss a dosage, and always remember to contact
your health care provider or pharmacist if you have any doubts.
- Try to fill all prescriptions at the same pharmacy.
- Read the patient information sheet that accompanies your medication.
If you are not given one, ask your pharmacist for the printed
information about your prescription.
- Should there be a change in the color, size, shape or smell of your
medication, notify your pharmacist immediately.
- Do not share or take another person’s medications.
- When in doubt about a medication you are taking, always consult your
pharmacist and/or health care provider! And remember to ask about any
side effects that you might experience or expect.
- When in the hospital:
- State your name before taking any medications and always offer
your wrist bracelet for identification. Ask the nurse to identify each
medication by name before you take it.
- If your medication has not been given at its regular time during
your hospital stay, inquire from the nurse as to why.
- Remind your health care provider if you have any allergies to
certain medications and food or if you also have a health condition
that could affect the use of certain medications.
- Also remember to tell your health care provider if you are taking
any dietary supplements or over-the-counter medications.
- Finally, create a list of all the medications you’re taking. The
list should include the following information:
- Your full name and date of birth
- Drug name (the drugs being taken, both generic and brand)
- Strength (dosage)
- Directions for using the medication, including how many times a
day and when the medication should be taken
- What liquids or foods are being used to take or should be used to
take with medications, for example, water, juice, apple sauce etc.
- Allergies to certain medicines and foods
- Pharmacy and health care providers names, addresses, telephone
numbers
- Family emergency contact information
This list should be updated on a monthly basis and a copy should be
kept with you at all times. Also keep copies at your home and share with
family members and friends who need to know where your personal
medication list is located. Take this list with you when you go for
doctor’s appointments, hospital stays or emergency room visits -- and
show it to all your health care providers so that they are aware of the
medications you are taking.
USP has created a Personal Medication Organizer for use in organizing
and accounting for the medications you are taking. To obtain this
organizer, please visit http://www.usp.org/pdf/patientSafety/personalMedOrg.pdf.
The organizer is free and you can print as many copies as you need.
For more information about USP, visit www.usp.org.
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