Oklahoma patients may be interested in these strategies suggested for nurses for preventing medication errors. The first is to ensure the five rights of medical administration related to transcription. Nurses are required to ensure that correct medication is prescribed for each patient in the correct dosage and route and at the right time. Medical providers must also follow the proper medication reconciliation procedures when transferring patients. This ensures that the medication is accurate for each patient and accompanied by all relevant documentation to prevent reconciliation errors.
Health care professionals must also double or triple check procedures to ensure accuracy and have another provider read back information as a safeguard. Name alerts can be helpful when preventing medication mix-ups among patients with similar-sounding names. Placing a zero in front of decimal points is useful for avoiding a miscalculation in dosage, such as 0.50mg as opposed to 50mg. Responsible providers document all medical labeling and record details about the administration of each medication for review.
Properly labeling medications is another essential component of effective treatment. Proper documentation helps prevent medical errors and ensure that medication is only kept while it is still in date. Medication storage requires attending to the temperature needs of each type of medication, including those that require refrigeration. Health care providers must also learn the administration policies and guidelines in order to ensure that all procedures are being properly followed. It is also important that hospitals and other facilities consider having drug guides that provide information about the administration of each medication.
Medication errors are a common cause for medical malpractice lawsuits. Patients who received the wrong medication or experienced another type of medical error may be eligible for compensation. A personal injury attorney may be able to help Oklahoma patients receive compensation for their medical expenses as well as other damages caused by a medical error.