To be fair, giving someone Tylenol when they asked for Aspirin is technically a med error, even if nothing bad happened. Two patients have the exact same prescription but one is generic and the other is name brand and you accidentally switch the pills? Med error.
I'm not trying to excuse the more serious med errors here, just trying to explain that "med error" is a pretty nebulous term at times.
That's not really true as hospitals don't stock trade variations of each med unless medically important (thyroid meds can change based on manufacturer for example).
Most med errors are inappropriate timing as nearly every other part of med dispensing has been automated except for the window when the patient gets it.
I have a friend whos a nurse, and she told me this nice tidbit.
Med errors are disturbingly common, and the nurses are the ones who take the blame, but in many cases the doctors are even worse.
Its no surprise that medical malpractice is the third leading cause of death in the U.S.
To be fair, giving someone Tylenol when they asked for Aspirin is technically a med error, even if nothing bad happened. Two patients have the exact same prescription but one is generic and the other is name brand and you accidentally switch the pills? Med error.
I'm not trying to excuse the more serious med errors here, just trying to explain that "med error" is a pretty nebulous term at times.
That's not really true as hospitals don't stock trade variations of each med unless medically important (thyroid meds can change based on manufacturer for example).
Most med errors are inappropriate timing as nearly every other part of med dispensing has been automated except for the window when the patient gets it.
I think that would fall into the category of "more serious med errors" though.
EDIT - Also, hospitals aren't the only place where nurses work. Retirement homes, assisted living centers, clinics (doctors office), etc.