Medication errors at hospitals are on the rise. The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that in one year, up to 1.9 million adverse reactions to medicines happened while a patient stayed in the hospital and 800,000 incidents occurred in emergency rooms. The Connecticut Pharmacists Association and the University of Connecticut recently examined medication records of 89 high-risk patients and discovered an average of 10 medication errors per person. Bad drug interactions, medication duplications, and cost inefficiencies were the most encountered errors.<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven the aging population, patients with multiple diseases or disorders, the increased use of pharmaceuticals, and the increased use of multiple medications, the risk of errors or adverse events is higher,\u201d said Connecticut Hospital Association spokesperson Kimberley Hostetler.<\/p>\n
Corticosteroids and anticoagulants were misused the most, according to the report. More communication and improved reporting between healthcare professionals, pharmacists, and patients is needed to prevent harm. The Agency for (more…)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Medication errors at hospitals are on the rise. The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) found that in one year, up to 1.9 million adverse reactions to medicines happened while a patient stayed in the hospital and 800,000…<\/span><\/p>\n