devoted to increasing awareness in consumers in order to prevent medical errors.

be an informed consumer, it might save your life

Patient, Know Thy Medication.

http://www.nccmerp.org/aboutmederrors.htm

We, as consumers, turn our health care over to professionals. We hope they have the education and understanding of what they are doing, as well as understand results of errors/mistakes. We enter the hospital hoping that we are safe from any type of error. The reality is humans make mistakes. In order to decrease, or even better yet, avoid a mistake (to our body) we, as consumers, need to be informed and educated. It is only when this happens do we stand a better chance of avoiding a mistake.

Results of the shortage of nursing personnel today, the increased number of patients, added to sicker patients, increased nursing responsibilities, as well as new nurses with minimal experience, leads to medication errors. These are only a very few of the reasons medication mistakes are made. We can’t say that one person is responsible for an error, as there are many contributing factors when a mistake is made. Certainly, there are times, when the medical error is the result of one person, however, we are seeing, more and more, that the systems in place need correcting. With the constant changing of our health care environment, systems need revamping.

Medication errors can be minor or deadly. As consumers, we need to be informed. We need to play an active role in our delivery of care. Many nurses and doctors see the patient and family as a ‘team member,’ working with the health care professionals to ensure safe delivery. Speaking with the doctor, nurse or professional, who is providing your care and telling them you want to be part of the team to ensure there are no mistakes is okay, and, hopefully positively accepted.

If it is not positively accepted, then something is wrong.

Entering a hospital is, and can be dangerous to your health. How many times have I heard this statement. Not only from patients, but what is scarey, from health care professionals. Therefore, consumers beware and be informed. And, how many time have I heard a health care professional say that they would stay with a loved one 24/7 due to the present delivery of care.

 

 

 

1. Ask your doctor what medications he/she is ordering for you, or a loved one.

2. When the nurse administers the medication, ask what the medication name is and why the medication is being given to you, or a loved one.

Does this match what the doctor said. If not, question and ask for answers.

Patients have a right to know what the medication is and what it is being given for.

If the nurse administering the medication does not know, it is okay, and your right

to question the person and ask them to recheck to ensure you are receiving the

correct medication. It is your body and your right. Every nurse who administers

any medication is responsible for knowing about that medication. If the answers

that you receive, from the nurse, don’t meet your acceptance, ask to speak with

someone who is in charge. Remember, it is your body and if there is a mistake, it is

your body, not the nurses body that will be affected.

There are a wide variety of reasons for medication errors. Often the system the hospital has in place might need to be updated in order to meet ever changing health care demands. Nurses might not be familiar with medications and administer whatever medication is sent from the pharmacy. Pharmacies do make mistakes, those working in pharmacies are human also. Doctor’s orders might be confusing, non legible. These are just a few of the reasons medication errors happen. Education and experience plays a vital role in this area. With experienced nurses leaving nursing, and new nurses entering, we lost a most valuable quality.................experience.

 

As consumers, we must play an active part in the care we receive. We must ask and ask again, until we understand. Questions posed to our physicians, pharmacists and nurses about the medications we are receiving is imperative to prevent errors. We need to know the generic, as well as the brand names of medications. Do these medications, we are taking have side effects? What side effects can we expect to happen? Do these medications, we are taking interfere with other medications or food? What is the medication for, why is it being given.

In conclusion, being an active member of your health care team can only lead to positive

outcomes. Keeping in mind, no health care professional intends to make a mistake, but as humans, mistakes are made. Humans put systems into place. Be an informed consumer.