Question

Many medical errors occur when patients are given medications.

• How do the “five rights” try to prevent these errors?

• How does a CPOE system contribute to patient safety?

• What are the implications of a patient receives the wrong medication?

• Do you have any personal experience with this subject matter?

Answer 1

1. One of the recommendations to reduce medication errors and harm is to use "Five rights": the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right route and the right time. These "five rights" should be kept in mind before starting any medication, it will help in reducing the errors.

2. CPOE systems are clinical systems that utilize data from the pharmacy, laboratory, radiology and patient monitoring systems to relay the physician's or nurse practitioner's diagnostic and therapeutic plans and alert the provider to any allergy that the patient may have so that the order may be immediately revised at the point of entry prior to being forwarded electronically for the targeted medical action.

3. The impact of a patient's getting the wrong medication can range from inconsequential to fatal, depending on the severity of the patient’s condition and the nature of the medication that was wrongfully administered.

4. No, I haven't expeienced any such medication error. All thanks to god !