6 Patient Safety and Error Prevention Free Online FlashCards

What is a medication error?

A preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm.

What should a technician do when an order or product seems unclear?

Stop and refer the issue to the pharmacist; do not guess or change the prescription independently.

Why are high-alert medications treated with extra safeguards?

They can cause serious harm when used in error; the consequences may be more severe even if errors do not occur more often.

What does LASA mean in medication safety?

They have names or packaging that look or sound similar but refer to different medications.

When should hand hygiene be performed during medication work?

Perform hand hygiene at appropriate times, including before an aseptic task and after glove removal. Use soap and water when hands are visibly soiled.

How do root cause analysis and FMEA differ?

Root cause analysis reviews an event after it occurs to identify contributing system factors; FMEA looks ahead for ways a process could fail.

What is a near miss?

An error or hazard intercepted before it reaches the patient. It should still be reported and reviewed.

Does an adverse drug event always indicate a medication error?

No. An adverse drug event is harm associated with medication use, but it does not always mean an error occurred.

What does the practical medication-safety checklist verify?

Check the right patient, medication, strength, dosage form, route, directions, and quantity as applicable. This checklist does not replace policy or pharmacist verification.

Name three examples of high-alert medications.

Examples include insulin, anticoagulants, opioids, chemotherapy, neuromuscular blockers, concentrated electrolytes, and parenteral nutrition.

What is an important limitation of a double-check?

A required double-check should be performed independently. It does not replace a well-designed process.

How can a technician reduce the risk of a LASA mix-up?

Read the complete drug name and compare it with the strength, dosage form, route, and indication when available and appropriate.