Medication errors

[oldbutinschool]

I am in a Practical Nursing Program, what I would like to know is......what is considered a medication error in your programs. Is it if the wrong medication reaches the patient or is it counted when setting up the medication to present to the instructor and you realized the drug was pulled in error. Need help please. Thank you

Oldbutinschool

[BellsRNBSN]

I believe a med error pertains to messing up any one of the six medication rights:

1. Right patient

2. Right medication

3. Right route of administration

4. Right dosage

5. Right timing

6. Right documentation

If any of those six categories is incorrect, that counts as a med error.

Is that what you were asking?

P.S. If you catch the med error during one of your checks, before the med is administered to the patient, I don't think it counts as a med error.

[CanuckLPN73]

7 rights...

7th) the right reason...

However if the drug has not reached the patient and you noticed it before while checking it then no it is not an error because you are doing your three checks. Two checks while pouring and the Third at the bedside before giving it to the patient, so I would say it is not an error because you are doing your checks and have caught the error so therefore you are doing the right procedure and it is not counted as a drug error. However if you get to the bedside and the patient ends up taking the drug then that shows that you did not do your 3 checks so right there that itself is an error.

[nursel56]

I think both of those would be considered a med error. You need to study and re-study all your "rights" (which were only 5 back in the day :)) even if it seems redundant and OCD. When you are out there working - there are an endless number of possible distractions and/or mistakes made by the pharmacy, the MD or the person transcribing the order. Never letting that slide even though I take care of one patient in home health now has saved my butt many a time!

[CharlieT]

you caught it, just like in baseball, no error

[CanuckLPN73]

The way I've been taught is that it is an error if it reaches the patient as in given to the patient.

"Medication errors include failin to read the medication label, misreading or incorrectly calculating the dosage, failing to identify the client correctly, preparing the wrong concentration,or administering a medication by the wrong route. Nurses always need to check medications very carefully. Even after checking, the nurse should recheck the medication order and the medication before administering it if , for example the client states, "I did not have a green pill before." ."

Fundamentals of Canadian Nursing, 2nd edition, p 99-100

I've been taught the 3 checks, one before pouring, one after pouring and one at bedside. I dont know how it works down there though...hope that helps :)

[oldbutinschool]

Thanks to all of you for comments. This really helps me out