Medication Safety Practices in Healthcare Settings: An Analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Medication safety is defined as freedom from preventable medication errors and unnecessary harm associated with medication use. Medication errors and adverse drug events are common problems in health care organizations. Although significant improvements in medication safety have been reported, patients still face risks of adverse drug events that result in harm from preventable errors, and gaining control over these events through error reduction is a high priority for health care organizations. Enhancing medication safety practices beyond the typical error prevention strategies can result in significant advantages for patient quality and patient safety. In recent years, new methods have been developed and used to promote medication safety.