The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7356 p4
2 July 2005

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Medicine administration errors reduced by learning package

An online learning package, written with the involvement of pharmacists, has resulted in a 30 per cent reduction in medication administration errors among nurses at the Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust, London, it was announced last month.

A clinical review of the package “Safe medication practice” by Bryony Dean Franklin, principal pharmacist, clinical services, at the trust, showed that the non-
intravenous drug administration error rate fell from 6.1 per cent before use of the package by 19 nurses to 4.2 per cent and the proportion of errors judged to be clinically significant was halved.

The package can be taken from any computer with access to the internet, allowing users to access the modules at a convenient time.