The rate of medication errors among US residents has increased by more than 100 percent in recent years, according to a study conducted by The Center for Injury Research and Policy and the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and published in Clinical Toxicology.
The study found an overall increase in home-based medication error among patients over six years of age. In 2000, the proportion stood at 1.09 errors for every 100,000 Americans, but this rose to 2.28 in 2012. Patients taking cardiovascular medication should be extra vigilant in light of the study, which indicated they are the most likely to experience medication errors. The study found one in five (21 percent) errors were associated with these medicines.
Analgesics also had a relatively high level of medication error at 12 percent. These two drug classes were also found to have the most fatalities as a result of drug errors, accounting for two-thirds of deaths caused by medication error. Other drugs exhibiting a high error levels were hormone/hormone antagonists (11 percent), sedative/hypnotics/antipsychotics (9.6 percent) and antidepressants (8.6 percent).
However, medication error and frequency declined in children under six after 2005. The the study attributed the drop to a decline in the use of cough and cold medicines to treat infants following a 2007 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendation against using this form of medication in young children. The FDA warned parents that even over-the-counter cough and cold products could be harmful if more than the recommended amount is administered.
Nichole Hodges, PhD, lead author of the study and research scientist in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s, commented: "Managing medications is an important skill for everyone, but parents and caregivers have the additional responsibility of managing others’ medications… When a child needs medication, one of the best things to do is keep a written log of the day and time each medication is given to ensure the child stays on schedule and does not get extra doses."
How to Prevent Medication Errors
Keep a log of dosages, drugs and the time they were taken: This is particularly important if you are administering medication to someone else or if another caregiver will take over care and could potentially administer another dose.
Talk to your physician and pharmacist: Healthcare professionals can provide advice on how to avoid medication errors and may be able to suggest ways to simplify the process, particularly if patients take a number of drugs throughout the day.
Store drugs safely in the home: Ensure any medication is kept out of reach of children and in a child-proof container to minimize the risk youngsters will accidentally take medicine.
