Midwest Freelancer archive article
Medication safety initiative launched
(Published Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2006)
By Matt Heger/Midwest Freelancer
COLUMBIA – Medication use affects everyone. Ranging from prescription and over-the-counter drugs to vitamins and herbal supplements, all are intended to improve health. And while the benefits of medicines in general are rarely contested, improper use can have negative consequences.
To support consumer and health care professional safety efforts and to emphasize the importance of communication about medicine use, the Missouri Center for Patient Safety (MOCPS) is launching a medication safety initiative as part of Missouri’s Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 5 through 11.
“Medicine is used to help us feel better, but sometimes instructions about how and when to take the medicine are confusing” said Rebecca Miller, executive director of MOCPS. “Increased use of vitamins, over-the-counter drugs and herbal medicine makes it even more important for patients to document the medicine they take and talk to their health care professionals to avoid errors.”
According to the national Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), medication errors are one of the top five types of errors that occur in all health care settings. Poor communication is cited as the reason behind 62 percent of these errors.
To fight this problem, health care providers are implementing a process to improve communication about medicines. This process, called medication reconciliation, is expected to eliminate at least 50 percent of medication errors. Simply explained, medication reconciliation involves maintaining a list of current medicine taken and comparing that list to changes in medicine when a patient enters a new health care setting, such as a hospital, nursing home, home care or a new doctor’s office or pharmacy.
Many health care providers in Missouri are doing their part to ensure this is accomplished. Over 240 of them are working to meet goals, including medication reconciliation, set by JCAHO. In addition, 59 Missouri hospitals are improving medication processes as part of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s “100,000 Lives Campaign,” a national campaign to save lives by implementing patient safety practices.
“This shows that providers have been very proactive in recognizing the need to ensure accurate records of medication. Even small advancements can greatly improve the safety of Missourians,” Miller said.
By Matt Heger/Midwest Freelancer
COLUMBIA – Medication use affects everyone. Ranging from prescription and over-the-counter drugs to vitamins and herbal supplements, all are intended to improve health. And while the benefits of medicines in general are rarely contested, improper use can have negative consequences.
To support consumer and health care professional safety efforts and to emphasize the importance of communication about medicine use, the Missouri Center for Patient Safety (MOCPS) is launching a medication safety initiative as part of Missouri’s Patient Safety Awareness Week, March 5 through 11.
“Medicine is used to help us feel better, but sometimes instructions about how and when to take the medicine are confusing” said Rebecca Miller, executive director of MOCPS. “Increased use of vitamins, over-the-counter drugs and herbal medicine makes it even more important for patients to document the medicine they take and talk to their health care professionals to avoid errors.”
According to the national Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), medication errors are one of the top five types of errors that occur in all health care settings. Poor communication is cited as the reason behind 62 percent of these errors.
To fight this problem, health care providers are implementing a process to improve communication about medicines. This process, called medication reconciliation, is expected to eliminate at least 50 percent of medication errors. Simply explained, medication reconciliation involves maintaining a list of current medicine taken and comparing that list to changes in medicine when a patient enters a new health care setting, such as a hospital, nursing home, home care or a new doctor’s office or pharmacy.
Many health care providers in Missouri are doing their part to ensure this is accomplished. Over 240 of them are working to meet goals, including medication reconciliation, set by JCAHO. In addition, 59 Missouri hospitals are improving medication processes as part of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s “100,000 Lives Campaign,” a national campaign to save lives by implementing patient safety practices.
“This shows that providers have been very proactive in recognizing the need to ensure accurate records of medication. Even small advancements can greatly improve the safety of Missourians,” Miller said.