New York residents may be interested in a report indicating a considerable increase in serious medication errors outside of the hospital setting. The problem is especially serious for caregivers and children, and it is important for anyone taking or dispensing medication to keep in mind some guidelines to reducing the possibility of an error.
With the global diabetic population growing by leaps and bounds every day, it is the principal responsibility of all practicing diabetologists to educate and effectively treat their patients and to save them from this “silent killer.” Diabetes indeed kills silently. In many cases it is even seen that the disease shows no apparent symptoms.
Blood-thinning drugs like Coumadin and Warfarin save lives by reducing the risk of strokes when people could get blood clots. Anticoagulant drugs, however, need to be administered with care, and when dosages are wrong or the drugs react with other medications or even food, people could die of internal bleeding. Some patients in nursing homes in New York and around the country have been the victim of the poorly-monitored use of blood thinners.
New York residents who rely on pharmacies to obtain their medications may be interested to learn that in 2016 more than 4.4 billion prescriptions were dispensed. However, research shows that the majority of serious or life-changing pharmaceutical errors occur during shift changes. As such, a study found that the rate of errors could be reduced if communication between pharmacists is improved.
Although health IT systems are supposed to make the job of medical professionals easier while improving patient outcomes, a study indicates that these systems may be leading to an increase in medication errors in New York and around the country. The study, which was published by the ECRI Institute and the Pennsylvania Safety Advisory, found that unexpected problems with the new systems have developed, and issues appear to occur in a variety of ways.
New York patients may be interested to learn that those who have an atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat, have an increased risk of death if they are being given digoxin, a medication that could control the symptoms. According to the American College of Cardiology, the risk of death increases as the levels of digoxin in the bloodstream increase.
You rely on the nurses, doctors and pharmacists that handle your medical care to make the right choices. Depending on your age, background and health, you may already take one or more prescription medications, as well as supplements and herbal medicines. Most of the time, these drugs can be taken at the same time without any issue.
A study completed in Missouri indicates that while RNs and LPNs are both often tasked with medication reconciliation, RNs appear to be better at handling this job. Medication reconciliation is when a medical professional goes over patient data about what medications have been prescribed. The goal is to find any errors that may lead to an adverse event for a patient.
According to a study by John Hopkins Medicine researchers, medical errors should be number three on the list of causes of death in the United States.
Being provided with the incorrect dosage of medication can severely affect an individual’s health. New York residents may be interested to know that the electronic dosage technology used by many medical professionals could be causing health issues for some seniors.
