Medication Errors

Prescription medications are supposed to make you feel better; however, a medication error can make you much worse. The Food and Drug Administration reports that medication errors result in an estimated 7,000 deaths per year in the United States, as well as hundreds of thousands of injuries. While some of these errors go unnoticed, the FDA estimates that one in five doses given to hospital patients results in an error. Some examples are:

• Wrong medication prescribed

• Wrong medication dispensed

• Incorrect dosing information

• Miscommunication between doctors and pharmacists

• Failure to guard against harmful drug interactions

• Failure to recognize drug allergies

• Failure to provide drug consultation and explanation of possible side affects

• Mislabeled drugs