A multidisciplinary team approach to reduce medication errors.
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Presenter : Ms Rosina Gergis1, Ms Ruth Willis1, Ms Rosina Gergis1, Miss Rebecca Perry1
1Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, Australia
Date of presentation:28th October 2016
Abstract
Aim
Medication errors occur across the entire spectrum of prescribing, dispensing, and administering and many medication errors and adverse drug events are preventable.
Medication errors in hospitalised children occur at similar rates to adults (4.3-5.7% of orders) but have 3 times the potential to cause harm due to:
– immature organ function to metabolise drugs
- mg/kg doses require calculations
– small doses required – a small change may make a big difference clinically
– dosage forms are usually in adult sizes
– liquid formulations need to be measured and/or diluted
Thus the aim of this project was to discover what staff practices were in prescribing, dispensing and administering medications and how they thought medication errors could be prevented.
Method
The paediatric unit at Flinders Medical Centre recognised the opportunity and value in involving all key stakeholders in medication administration and invited them to participate in a survey. We wanted to discover the practices of staff and ask them how errors could be prevented as well as why they thought they occurred.
Results
The survey results will be presented, i.e. the data and will include the themes from the descriptions we received of how to improve practice and thus reduce errors.
Conclusions
The conclusions of how the unit transcribed these findings into practice change will be shared. The outcomes from changed practices, improved resources and personnel will be discussed as well as future directions.