Medication Errors

We all make mistakes. Some are inconsequential, but some can be detrimental. Medication errors, in particular, can even be deadly. But what exactly is a medication error? According to the FDA, a medication error is “any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer.”

Some of the errors that patients make include taking the wrong dose; confusing eye drops with ear drops; mixing medications; mixing certain medications with a food or drink that may cause a negative interaction; and more.

Elders are particularly susceptible to adverse reactions from medication errors, including an increased severity of illness and even death. The FDA reported on evaluations of fatal medication errors between 1993 and 1998 and found that “Almost half of the fatal medication errors occurred in people over 60. Older people are especially at risk for errors because they often take multiple medications.”

The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists says that elders are more susceptible to problems resulting from medication errors “due to physiological changes of aging, higher incidence of multiple chronic diseases and conditions, and greater consumption of prescription and over-the-counter medications…Medication-related problems are estimated to be one of the top five causes of death in that age group, and a major cause of confusion, depression, falls, disability, and loss of independence.”

Here are five simple tips to help reduce mediation errors:

• Read the instructions and ask questions. Instructions that accompany any prescription include details on what the medication looks like, its active ingredients, usage, dosage and administration, warnings and more. If you discard the medication packaging, as many folks do, you can go online to the National Library of Medicine’s Medline Plus to see the instructions for your particular medication. If there’s anything about your medication that you don’t understand, ask your pharmacist.
• Take your medications as prescribed. Chronic conditions, like diabetes, high blood pressure, or COPD, require medication to manage them. If a diabetic patient, for example, doesn’t take his insulin, he’s at risk for hypoglycemia, which can lead to confusion and heart palpitations. If a patient with high blood pressure doesn’t take medications as prescribed, he increases his risk of stroke or heart attack. “Medications can only do their job when taken correctly, which means taking the proper dose of medication at the right time and in the right way for as long as you’re supposed to,” according to the American College of Cardiology.
• Make a list. Document all of the medications you’re taking, including dietary or herbal supplements and over-the-counter (OTC) meds – like laxatives or aspirin – so that your doctor and pharmacist can get the full picture. Update that list regularly. “Adverse reactions can happen between OTC medications, prescriptions and supplements, so it’s critical to keep a total list of what you’re taking,” said Paula Evans, PharmD, MS, CGP, Pharmacy Practice, at MCPHS University. Colleen Massey, MS, Director of Operations, also at MCPHS University, added that keeping that list in a wallet or purse can be especially helpful in the event of an emergency. “If you have an emergency situation and wind up in the ER, the physician there may not be able to tell what caused the adverse event.” Another important piece of information: a list of known allergies or adverse reactions you have to certain medications.
• Use the same pharmacy for your prescriptions. This helps to ensure that the pharmacy will have a comprehensive record of all of the medications you’re taking and can help prevent interactions.
• Discard old or expired medications. Medications lose their efficacy after they’re expired and are therefore weaker and may be unsafe. Having both expired and current medications in the medicine cabinet can cause confusion for anyone – especially the elderly – so it’s good general practice to discard expired medications altogether. But don’t throw them out or flush them down the toilet; that could harm the environment. Many communities’ law enforcement agencies participate in “National Drug Take Back Day.” This year, it will be held on April 29. To find a location near you, click here.