Government report tackles medication errors
Ways of avoiding medication errors are set out in a new report published this week by the Department of Health.
The report, “Building a safer NHS for patients: improving medication
safety” was to be announced by health minister Lord Warner on 22
January after The Journal went to press. It examines the causes and frequency
of medication errors, and takes an in-depth look at the drugs and clinical
settings that pose the greatest risk of an error occurring. It also identifies
good practice, setting out ways that errors can be avoided in prescribing,
dispensing and administration of medicines.
The report states that NHS organisations should implement these models
of good practice in order to improve medication safety for patients.
However, the report states that it is not intended to be prescriptive
on the detail of how to reduce medication errors. Rather, it states: “It
provides empirical solutions and also interventions based on clinical
experience in the UK and elsewhere. Improving medication safety must
be locally driven by health professionals and managers at the front line
of patient care.” Therefore, the aim of the report is to be as
a guide to help NHS organisations and professionals.
Among the recommendations set out in the report are building checks into
medication processes, implementing new IT developments and improving
education about medication safety for health professionals.
Lord Warner commented: “The National Patient Safety Agency will
have an important role in taking forward the recommendations set out
in this report.”
The chairman of the NPSA, Lord Hunt, welcomed the report. “Improving
medication safety is an early priority for the NPSA and many of the specific
areas covered in this report are already being addressed by us. We will
give careful consideration to this report and work with the NHS, the
Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the pharmaceutical
industry and other key stakeholders including patients to continue to
improve patient safety.”
The report builds on the Government’s initiative to reduce medication
errors set out by the chief medical officer in “Building a safer
NHS for patients” in 2001.
The report is available here.
News feature, p80
Comment, p74 |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal