4 Medication Error Prevention Across the Care Process Free Online FlashCards

What is a medication error?

A preventable event that may lead to inappropriate medication use or harm; it can be intercepted before reaching the patient and does not always cause injury.

What should be reviewed before prescribing a medication?

Check the indication, patient, allergies, diagnoses, current medications, and relevant factors such as age, weight, kidney or liver function, and pregnancy status.

What should be read back for a verbal medication order?

Read back the medication, dose, route, and frequency to confirm the order.

What is medication reconciliation?

Obtain and verify the best possible medication history, compare it with new orders at care transitions, and resolve unintended differences.

What are LASA medications, and what is one safeguard?

They have names that look or sound similar, or packaging that can be confused. Tall Man lettering emphasizes differences in selected names, but does not replace independent verification.

What should be verified before administering a medication?

Confirm the patient's identity and compare the medication with the current order and the patient's clinical condition.

What should medication monitoring assess?

Monitor the intended response, side effects, toxicity, interactions, and adherence using measures appropriate to the drug and patient.

What defines a high-alert medication?

Their potential to cause especially serious harm if used in error—not necessarily a higher frequency of errors.

How should independent double checks be used?

Use them for selected medications or steps when appropriate. The second check should be genuinely independent, and double checks should complement—not replace—strong system design.

What does a closed-loop medication process connect?

Linking the order, pharmacy verification, administration record, patient identification, and monitoring can create a closed-loop process.

How can patients and caregivers help prevent medication errors?

Keep an updated medication list, ask what each new or changed medicine is for and how to take it, and report unexpected effects or discrepancies.

How should a care team respond to a medication error or near miss?

Report the event and examine system contributors such as workflow, staffing, labeling, storage, communication, technology, training, or unclear responsibility.