NHS-FPX4000-Assessment3-docx

ANALYZING MEDICATION RELATED EROR PREVENTION

Introduction Medication errors pose a threat to patient safety in an inpatient setting as well as an outpatient setting. This assessment will explore issues in the medical field that disrupt proper patient care and hinder patient progress and healing. As discussed in the last assessment, medication reconciliations can be an effective tool to help decrease the instances of medication errors and promote patient safety throughout all aspects of patient care.

Elements of the Issue. Studies have shown that during transition of care from inpatient hospitalization to outpatient care, patients are at a higher risk of medication errors due to a lack of communication or proper documentation of changes made to a patient’s med list. The impact of these errors encompasses patient safety, adverse drug reactions, harm, and cost of unplanned hospitalizations (Kee, Char, & Yip, 2018). Ensuring a safe transition of care for patients is a topic that requires addressing by the healthcare professionals that care for and treat patients.

Analysis As a registered nurse Case Manager, my main focus is to assist patients with their transition from inpatient care to outpatient care. Medication changes are a factor in my transition assessments and it is imperative I assist patients with their medications to prevent any adverse reactions or incorrect dosing that are a patient safety risk. As medication-related adverse events in primary care represent an important cause of hospital admissions and mortality (Khalil, Bell, Chamber, Sheikh, Avery, Transition of care is referred to as the movement of patient care between practitioners, the physical setting of patient care as their condition and need for care changes (Kee, Char, & Yip, 2018).