The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority has issued a new advisory report (pdf) which analyzes medication error reports submitted by ambulatory surgery facilities to the Authority, according to a Philadelphia Business Journal report.
The advisory report indicates facilities submitted 502 medication error reports to the Authority from June 28, 2004, through Dec. 31, 2010.
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The most common types of medication errors reported included drug omission, wrong drug and monitoring error/documented allergy.
The advisory report offers a number of strategies to reduce medication errors, including requiring labels on all medications and medication containers, differentiating look-alike drug names and products, confirming medications and labels, standardizing medications and safe and proper medication storage.
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