Safety in Medication Use

Description

It is estimated that about 1 in 20 patients admitted to the hospital are admitted as a result of problems with their medication, and a further 1 in 100 hospitalized patients are harmed due to medication errors during their stay. The prescribing of medications is the most common healthcare intervention and medication safety is relevant to all healthcare professionals, and to all patients, in all healthcare settings. This book provides an overview of the theory and practice of medication safety, summarizing the international literature and practical suggestions for local practice.

Features

• Presents research including expert opinion on the relevance to practice, including how to avoid key pitfalls in the interpretation
• Has application to the entire health system, including primary, secondary and specialist care and is in line with newer integrated health models
• Bridges the gap between theory and practice
• Includes electronic prescribing, innovations in dispensing, and technological solutions in medication administration
• Discusses medication use, approaches to understanding and resolving problems, and methods of putting solutions into practice

Table of Contents

The Medication Use Process. Section Introduction. Prescribing and Monitoring Medication. Dispensing Medication. Administration of Medication. Professional Communication and Medication Safety. Approaches to Understanding and Resolving the Problems. Section Introduction. Measuring Medication Errors. Psychological Theories. Educational Theories. A Sociotechnical Perspective of Electronic Prescribing. Systems Perspective and Design. Improvement Science. Safety Culture. Putting Solutions into Practice. Section Introduction. Incident Reporting and Feedback Approaches. Educational Interventions. Communication between Health Care Professionals. Interventions for Safer Work Systems. Electronic Prescribing and Medication Administration Record Systems. Technological Approaches for Medication Administration. Innovations in Dispensing. Patient Involvement in Medication Safety. Overall Conclusion.