Annual pharmacy drug cost has increased from $10,300,000 to $16,800,000 in the past five years. The hospital is experiencing an increase in drug cost even though actual drug usage has remained stable.
Along with the increase in drug cost, drug related errors have also increased. Patient safety has become an even more serious issue. As you know, patient safety is the number one item on the national health care agenda for the next several years.
At the hospital the number of dispensing errors has increased by two percent during the past twelve months. The registered nurses who are administering the drugs have discovered many of the dispensing errors; however, the ones not discovered resulted in patients getting the wrong drug, wrong dosage, and/or the wrong frequency. When the overall drug error rate was analyzed, it was found that dispensing errors in the pharmacy were the number one cause. The overall drug error rate had increased from three percent to five percent.
Fortunately most of the dispensing errors were discovered before the medications were administered to the patients. When the incorrect drugs were administered, it resulted in adverse effects in three cases. One patient received the right medication but the wrong dosage because the medication label was incorrect. This patient had to be admitted overnight to the Intensive Care Unit for intense cardiac and respiratory monitoring. The patient stayed in ICU for approximately twenty-four hours. Another patient received the wrong medication on the day of planned discharge and had to remain in the hospital for an additional day, though only for observation. In the third case, the patient had reported that he was allergic to a certain category of drugs, but nonetheless received a drug of that type. He had an adverse reaction–a rash–which delayed his discharge by one day.
On the basis of your understanding of the above case study, express your views on the following:
• What measures should be adopted to reduce the overall drug error rate in the hospital?
• What special benefits should be given to the patients who have suffered due to negligence by the hospital staff for wrong drug administration and other reasons?
• In your opinion, should the hospital staff who were responsible for the dispensing errors be held personally liable for the errors? Why or why not?
Use the following resources as well as your Textbook for this assignment.
• Ellsworth, M. A., M.D., Aakre, C. A., M.D., Dziadzko, Mikhail,M.D., PhD., Peters, S. G., M.D., Pickering, Brian W,M.B., B.Ch, & Herasevich, Vitaly,M.D., PhD. (2016). Early computerization of patient care at mayo clinic. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 91(7), E93-E101. doi:
• Lan, H., Thongprayoon, C., Ahmed, A., Herasevich, V., Sampathkumar, P., Gajic, O., & O’Horo, J. C. (2015). Automating quality metrics in the era of electronic medical records: Digital signatures for ventilator bundle compliance. BioMed Research International, 2015, 1-6. doi:10.1155/2015/396508
To support your work, use your course and textbook readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.
Your initial posting should be addressed at 150-300 words. Submit your document to this Discussion Area by the due date assigned. Be sure to cite your sources using APA format.
Expert Solution Preview
Measures that can be adopted to reduce the overall drug error rate in the hospital include implementing a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system, using barcode scanning technology, and providing ongoing training and education to staff members. The CPOE system allows for direct entry of medication orders, reducing the likelihood of errors due to illegible or incorrect handwriting. Barcode scanning technology can be used to verify medication and patient information, ensuring that the right medication is given to the right patient in the right dosage and frequency. Training and education can help staff members to stay up-to-date on best practices and new technologies, as well as reinforce the importance of error prevention.
Special benefits that should be given to patients who have suffered due to negligence by hospital staff for wrong drug administration and other reasons may include compensation for any additional medical expenses incurred, as well as emotional support and counseling. In addition, the hospital could offer a formal apology and review its policies and procedures to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
Whether or not hospital staff who were responsible for the dispensing errors should be held personally liable for the errors would depend on the specific circumstances of each case and the policies and laws in place in the hospital and surrounding community. However, regardless of liability, the hospital should take steps to investigate the incident, determine root causes, and take action to prevent future errors. This could include disciplinary action, additional training, or changes in policies and procedures.
