Medication Error Systems In Hospitals Are Step In Right Direction

Posted on

Did you know that the most common mistake in a hospital is a medication error? The severity of the medication error may vary from case to case. In certain instances, the medication error may not have that big of an impact on the patient. In some cases, the error may be caught soon after the medicine has been prescribed or implemented, and this can prevent a negative outcome. But in many, many other cases, the medication error drastically affects a patient’s life for the worse.

In fact, there are roughly 3.8 million hospital patients that are affected by medication errors every year in the United States.

Thankfully, many hospitals around the country are implementing new software and computer programs to try to reduce or eliminate medication errors. A recent survey found that 39 of New Jersey’s 71 hospitals are using these systems for more than 75 percent of their inpatient prescriptions to catch medication errors. That rate is higher than the national average, and while other hospital in the state still have some work to do in this area of medical mistakes, at least it’s nice to see a bulk of the facilities taking positive steps to protect patients.

Still, you can never account for the human element when it comes to medical care. People are going to make mistakes, regardless of their training or skill level, or how many safety precautions or protocols you implement. When mistakes are made by a hospital, the patient needs to carefully consider his or her legal options.

Source: NJ.com, “Find out how N.J. hospitals compare in preventing medication errors,” Kathleen O’Brien, April 9, 2015

Recent BlogPosts

  • February, 2024

    Common Forms of Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Doctor Malpractice and When You May Have Grounds for a Lawsuit

    If you have ever had sleep issues, allergies, neck cancer, or skin disorders, you may have sought diagnostic and treatment help from an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist, known as an ENT. An ENT specializes in otolaryngology, the study of ear, nose, and throat conditions. In essence, these doctors treat diseases and disorders of the […]

    READ MORE
  • January, 2024

    The Complex Relationship Between Religion and Medical Malpractice

    The United States Constitution protects religious freedom. Although the nation is historically Judeo-Christian, people of all faiths practice their religions throughout the American landscape. In the last half-century, federal and state laws and policies increasingly bolstered religious protections, especially in medicine. Conscience laws allow medical practitioners to refuse medical care under certain circumstances when their […]

    READ MORE
  • January, 2024

    The Legal Team at Fronzuto Law Group Obtains $1 Million in Damages for Negligent Nerve Block Injuries 

    Improper Implementation of a Nerve Block Before Surgery Leads to Permanent Disability One of Fronzuto Law Group’s latest medical malpractice case victories concerns the negligent performance of a nerve block prior to shoulder surgery, which ultimately left an otherwise healthy 46-year-old woman permanently disabled. While the woman was scheduled for a relatively standard surgical procedure […]

    READ MORE

Free Case
Evaluation

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Officelocations