Question

Betty, a new allied health professional, is given an order by the physician to administer a dose of medication to Mr. Jones, but she cannot read the physician’s handwriting. It looks like Cerebyx, an anti-epilepsy drug, but it also could be Celebrex, an arthritis medication. The physician gave Betty the medication order and left the office to make his hospital rounds. The other physicians and the nurses are busy, and Mr. Jones is anxious to take his medication and return to work. What should Betty do?

Discuss the serious implications of any failure to follow correct procedures in medication administration.

Discuss the steps to take in case of a medication error.

Answer 1

Medication errors usually occurs :

if the medicines have similar names or either similar packaging etc

medicines that are not generally used and they are administering for the first time

Have got verbal prescription from the physician either direct or via mobile

experience of a nurse too matters

Usually medication errors ends up in Adverse Drug Reactions or Death depending on the drug toxicity, dosage and severity

Inorder to prevent the errors, nurses should strictly adhere to the medicine administration protocols such as

Identifying the right drug, route, time, action, patient

In this case Betty have ask for the help of senior staff nurses or she can make a call and confirm from the doctor who prescribes the medicine.