Risk Management on Medication Error - Essay Example

? Risk management on medication error al affiliation Risk management on medication error The healthcare practitioners are charged with the responsibility of provision of effective medical care to their patients. One of the responsibilities of ensuring that healthcare practitioners discharge effective medical care relies on the fact that they are charged with the role of prescribing the best medication to the patients. However, it is almost obvious that errors take place in the healthcare facility by the health practitioners giving the wrong medication to the patients. This happens on a regular basis; thus, causes a lot of alarm in the healthcare provision. According to the study conducted by Brown (2006), medical safety must be upheld by all health practitioners at all times. This can be done by quick and speedy detection of the errors so as to alleviate adverse effects that may result from the menace. The quantity of errors reported from the healthcare setting has resulted to high numerical counts of deaths. In this situation, Joint Commission Resources (2001) shows that the matter of medical safety must not be approached carelessly, but a group effort of all the involved stakeholders in tackling the issues. This can be achieved by the administration of the affected healthcare institution by establishing a plan whereby the health practitioners can find means of reporting any form of errors that take place in the health institution. In this case, the institution will be better positioned in terms of risk management that may arise due to medical errors, an added benefit to the patients. Risk management, according to Cohen (2007), requires collective effort, the health providers have to feel comfortable and always report errors that emanate from dispensing duties. This will create a situation whereby the health practitioners will accept their mistakes and actually learn a great deal from them. This fear-free culture will indeed allow the health practitioners to be comfortable with their bosses. Risk management of medical errors, in one way or another allows the health practitioners to devise measures of dealing with factors that may lead to packing the wrong medicine to the patients, labeling or even give the wrong information regarding consumption of the medicine. No matter how experienced medical practitioners may be, chances are that they may get involved in medical errors. Strategic Objectives At Risk (SOAR) process and risk management This leads to the development of the risk management methodology that endeavors to identify the types of risks in the healthcare setting, and devising the best means of dealing with the risk. Monahan (2008) indicates that for risk management to be effective, the Strategic Objectives at Risk (SOAR) process has to be applied. This, according to Monahan’s research refers to the process in which the risk managers can have a better understanding of the risks involved; thus, devise the best methodologies that can influence positive outcomes to deal with the risks. In the course of applying the Strategic Objectives At Risk (SOAR) methodology, the health practitioners will have a better opportunity to gain an understanding of the factors underlying the actions that are applied in the case of dealing with medical errors. Therefore, the managers are well guided on what policies to apply if they have to manage risks objectively. Through systematically laying out of the factors that deal with medical errors- the SOAR methodology-risks can be well assessed and managed (Monahan, 2008). Risk identification and analysis Medical errors can be categorized in a number of groups. One of the errors that may take place while dispensing medical care includes the prescribing error. This error involves giving the patients the wrong medicine either by mistaking the types of products present in the store or by not being certain the implications of a particular drug on the patients. As a result, Cohen (2007) indicates that there is a great likelihood that the patients may suffer from allergy related infections if the medicines contain substances that may cause allergies. At times, the dosage forms are incorrectly filled, rendering the prescriptions erroneous. The patients’ conditions, in this case- according to Joint Commission Resources (2001) - are at a greater risk of succumbing to more illnesses that may cause adverse implications. The omission error is yet another error that is identified as a medical error. This refers to the inability by the health practitioners to prescribe all the required medicines for a complete dosage. Some health practitioners are not keen to make prior prescriptions to returning patients, posing a risk on the safety of the patient. Failure to administer the correct dosage cannot be assumed in offering proper medical care. The error of incorrect timing also falls in this class, whereby the medical practitioner faults the time in which the patients should be taking a particular drug. This can lead to either overdose or under dose that can actually cost the patients their life or affect their health. This error is connected with the dosage error that entails prescribing wrong dosages to the patients. This calls for need of caution on the health officers’ side to stay away from dosage related mistakes. Medication errors are also related to the administration of drugs by an unprofessional person. If the prescribers are not well acquainted with the dosages, they are likely to cause errors that range form improper dosages, wrong time intake as well as prescription. This can also result to an error that relates to inappropriate administration. This relates to the inability of the administration to recommend the correct dosages on the patients. Yet another medical error in the healthcare practice is the technique error that falls on the part of the health administrators. The practitioner may fail to follow the procedure of administering medication, for instance, the practitioner may miss one-step of medicine administration that may be crucial for complete healing of the patients. This may lead to erroneous intake of medicines that not only hinders the healing process, but also leads to a recurrence of the malady in the patients. Monitoring error, a medical miscalculation, relates to the inability of the practitioners to prescribe the best medicines to the patients from failure by the practitioners to assess the various responses of the patients on various medicines. This mostly results from constant and consistent monitoring of all the laboratory reports that explain the vulnerabilities of the patients. Meager assessment of the responses to medications by patients, no doubt, creates an intricate position on the patients’ response to medication. Finally, compliance errors have cost the health sector a great deal of the safety of patients (Cohen, 2007). This error, unlike the other errors, emanates from the patients’ side, who at most times, do not comply with the set prescription. Therefore, they are subjected to partial medication, which puts them at a risk of a reoccurrence of the infection, especially if their immunity is not strong enough to work without a medical boost. It is imperative that patients strictly follow the prescriptions given, if complete healing has to be achieved. Monitoring risks and opportunities After identification of errors, it is of great benefit that the management of the health institutions devises programs that allow for monitoring the medical errors, and the extent in which they are able to deal with the errors. It is almost obvious to argue that the quality services in the health facilities can only be provided if the errors are minimized. Monitoring programs can only be successful if they are ongoing to reduce the chances of reoccurrence of the same errors in the health institutions. Joint Commission Resources (2001) indicates that if the errors are not quickly detected, it is possible that the errors will end up causing worse impacts than expected. This commission continues to recommend that it is important that follow up documents be well updated after careful scrutiny of the errors that may be present in the health centre. This argument coincides with the study by Monahan (2008) on Strategic Objectives at Risk (SOAR) methodology; in that it allows the practitioners to devise a working plan, vital for dealing with risks. Medical errors can be corrected by the use reports by the involved stakeholders in the medical culture. These reports should be well branded, as either anonymous reports or observations reports. The practitioners in this scenario must gather all the information, check the reliability and soundness of the data existing in the reports, then arise with the best approach on the errors reported. It is occurs that breakings may be there, but this should not alter the progress of the administration from joining forces with the practitioners in tackling the medical errors. This analysis should include the costs that the management will incur while dealing with the menace, practicality of the assessment and the efficacy of the results of the assessment. The monitoring process must consider the fact that incompetency among the practitioners is a huge negative for the patients. The costs in this case may be directed towards training the practitioners on perfection of their duties in the facility to avoid recurrence of errors. The management may also consider hiring more qualified practitioners so as to reduce the workload in the workplace that may lead to committing errors that result from exhaustion. The working conditions and the surroundings in the health institution must be favorable enough, to enhance for a friendly carrying out of activities. The laboratory assistants and doctors for instance, will be in continuous contact with the staff at the chemist; therefore, prescription of medicines will be with minimum errors. The medical systems of distributing medicine should be well governed to keep track of the medicine available, what needs to be ordered so that the practitioners cannot excuse giving half dosages for lack of enough medicines. The drug distribution section should also be well organized alphabetically or in terms of types of medicines so that prescription becomes less tiresome. The committees set aside to invigilate these roles must always ensure that all systems go as planned, and that they give orders whenever it is required. Through monitoring of the medical errors, the patients will automatically receive the adequate healthcare that they deserve, which is a prerequisite of universal healthcare policies (Brown, 2006). Responding to medical errors - management Managing the errors that relate to medical miscalculations is an important part of the risk management process. Just like the SOAR methodology indicates that risks can be well assessed and managed (Monahan, 2008) through an inclusive process, this stage cannot be skipped in managing risks that emanate from medical errors. First, the management must devise a risk response tracking system that will see the management constantly aware of any new developments that may be present, in the course of dispensing proper health services. The management will also manage to assess the risks that as well as classify these risks and the amount of harm they may cause on both the patients and the professionalism of the health facility. The medical errors in this case, may be classified on the grounds of errors on dosages, administration issues and the harms that they have caused on the health practitioners. Upon categorization of these errors, it has been extremely easy for the managers to conduct follow up activities on the patients, as soon as they detect the errors. These errors and their implications can be catalogued as less serious or minor cases for minute errors. The levels of severity keep on advancing with the increase in errors, as well as the probability of occurrence of an error. The errors that did not cause harm should also be recorded for improvement on the same, to avoid occurrences of errors. On another level, the practitioners must record errors that would lead to treatment and administering of stronger drugs to deal with the maladies caused form the errors. This report would make the practitioners more cautious on administering medical care on the patients. If the harm caused is lasting, then the managers have a mote-tasking role to play to communicate the risk management processes needed. Such errors should be recorded on a separate sheet and marked as those of extreme cases. Risk management process must go hand in hand with communication on the control measures as well as evaluation of the implications of the miscalculations. All the stakeholders must join forces to deal with the risks that come along with carrying out duties in the health facility. Conclusion Conclusively, it is justified to argue that risks cannot be alienated from carrying roles in medication. All the concerned stakeholders in the medical facility have to join forces to detect any occurrence of errors that may infringe on their ability to offer quality health services to the patients. The managers must endeavor to come up with lasting systems that allow for creation of working environments that reinforce minimal risks in the course of duty. As the Joint Commission Resources (2001) indicates, minimization of medical errors should be the sole responsibility of health practitioners, since a risk-free environment is an enjoyable working place for the health workers, consequently, proper medical services to the patients. References Brown, T. (2006). Handbook of institutional pharmacy practice. New York: ASHP. Cohen, R. (2007). Medication errors. New York: American Pharmacist Association. Joint Commission Resources. (2001). Preventing medication errors: strategies for pharmacists. New York: Joint Commission Resources. Monahan, G. (2008). Enterprise risk management: A methodology for achieving strategic objectives. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Read More