Medication Error Disclosure-Discussion Paper.

Often when a patient is taking nutritional supplements or herbal remedies, these are not disclosed with other medications. Discuss the reasons for this and how a nurse can overcome this issue. Also, discuss the consequences of this failure to disclose the medications. Provide two specific examples of how this can have serious consequences. Medication Error Disclosure-Discussion Paper.Locate at least one scholarly website or video that discusses one nutritional supplement or herbal remedy.

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Your initial posting should be 200 to 300 words in length and utilize at least one scholarly source other than the textbook.

The profession of nursing is considered to be the profession with undisputed high esteem and honor (“American Nurses Association” 2015). The profession is full of high esteem and honor because, for several years, nurses have been described as most moral and reliable professionals. The effectiveness of health care system is evaluated by the ability of the patient to describe nurses as dependable and accountable or trustworthy. Often, patients come to the nurses in their weakest or helpless state. During assessment, patients reveal vital information to the nurses, implying that patients entrust their lives to the nurses for care (Arcangelo & Peterson, 2013). Arcangelo & Peterson (2013) reiterate that patients that trust and believe in their providers have increased chances of being subjected to consistent administration of medication, thus making their process if managing their disease easier. Medication Error Disclosure-Discussion Paper.

Yes, the patient can be subjected to consistent administration of medication; however, medication errors are bound to happen either during initial prescription or during administration. The purpose of this assignment is depicting both legal and moral consequences of medication errors, and it involves describing the role or obligation of the nurse practitioner in revealing the mistakes.

Legal and Ethical Ramifications of Nondisclosure and Disclosure

The article, “To err is human” uncovered that inpatient admission to facilities of health care can pose a potential safety problem, thus need for the patient to be well-informed about medication errors that they can be subjected to and any threat that they might encounter as inpatient (Weiss & Koch, 2012). Weiss and Koch (2012) reiterate that the probability of medication errors in the hospital and the corresponding morality rate is a threat more that breast cancer and motor vehicle accidents. This has compelled some states such as Texas to enact laws that the patient to be informed about medication error.

For instance, Texas, in 2003, passed a law abbreviated as HB1614. Wolfe (2013) states that the role of HB1614 law is directing the nursing professionals to report unexpected results to the patients. Wolfe (2013) is on the opinion that patients should be trained or educated about all possible mistakes that they might encounter during the process of their care. Often, providers of health care hesitate to uncover medication errors, and this attributed to the fear of their professionals’ licenses being terminated or being subjected to misconduct claims (Arcangelo & Peterson, 2013). Medication, in the side of the provider, is accompanied with anxiety, blame, and discrediting, making it hard for the providers to address the mistakes when they happen. According to American Nurses Association (2015), errors should be reported to the patients in the quest for making appropriate decisions.  Medication Error Disclosure-Discussion Paper.

The Advanced Role of Nurses in Medication Errors

The scenario of prescription error is prevalent, and often patients are not aware of the of the error. Patient are not aware because the wrongly prescribed drugs did not subject them to adverse signs and symptoms. As a nurse, whether patients are aware of it or not, I have an obligation of revealing the error. After all, my professional oath of nursing profession requires me to be honest in known and unknown circumstances. Therefore, in case of prescription error, I will inform the patient of what really happened. Texas law requires a patient not to be informed about the error if it never subjected him or her to any adverse effects; however, as a nurse, I would not live happy knowing that I prescribed wrong medicines to somebody.

When patients come to the nursing professionals, they wholeheartedly trust them by giving all their confidential information, implying that failure to inform the patients is the breach of trust. Again, the nursing code requires me to give the best care and practices to my patients, and the best way of doing this is by revealing to them any information that might harm them. Weiss and Koch (2012) reports that the patients only need to be educated on what happened. This is a demonstration of remorse. The worst scenario of not informing the patient is when he or she finds out that he or she was deceived. The person can sue the organization, and this can be very costly (Elder et al., 2012).

The Procedure of Writing Prescriptions

Numerous means are involved in recommending the drugs for the patient after physical assessment by the physician has resolved so. Prior to prescribing the drugs for the patient, patient’s latest sensitivities and rundown to drugs must be checked to prevent unfavorable responses. As per Arcangelo and Peterson (2013), the patient must be given sufficient information about what he or she should expect. Currently, new innovations are available for prescribing medication, and consequently, reducing errors and any incompatibility.

Medication provided through either a telephone order or a provider must be easily interpreted and ought to be legible (Weiss & Koch, 2012). A prescription must have medication name, route, dosage, length, date of birth, frequency, patient name, the prescribers name, address, and address telephone number written on it (Arcangelo and Peterson, 2013). New drug needs prescription of few amounts. This is important in allowing the provider assess implications of the drug on the patient, and the medication order should state whether replacements with generic brands are allowed.

Conclusion

This paper clearly demonstrates the legitimate and moral consequences and the needs for divulgence in case of pharmaceutical mistakes. The provider has an obligation of reporting medication errors to the patient. Medication errors are bound to happen either during initial prescription or during administration, and this calls for effective utilization of methodologies of guaranteeing no mistake. The best method of minimizing medication errors is using electronic solutions. For the medication to be effective during prescription, the prescription must contain prescriber’s authorization and patient sensitivities.   Medication Error Disclosure-Discussion Paper.

References

American Nurses Association. (2015). Nurses rank as most trusted, ethical Profession for 14th Straight Year Nursing world. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/2015-NursesRankedMostHonestEthicalProfession.

Wolfe, A. (2013). Institute of Medicine Report: Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health Care System for the 21st Century. Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice, 2(3).

Elder, K., Ramamonjiarivelo, Z., Wiltshire, J., Piper, C., Horn, W. S., Gilbert, K. L., & … Allison, J. (2012). Trust, Medication Adherence, and Hypertension Control in Southern African American Men. American Journal of Public Health, 102(12), 2242-2245. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2012.300777

Weiss, P. M., & Koch, S. (2012). Medical errors Disclosure and apology. Contemporary OB/GYN, 57(6), 40-45.

Arcangelo, V. P., & Peterson, A. M. (Eds.). (2013). Pharmacotherapeutics for advanced practice: A practical approach (3rd ed.). Ambler, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Medication Error Disclosure-Discussion Paper.

 

MORE INFO 

Medication Error Disclosure

Introduction

We hear the term “medication error” all the time. It’s a term that’s thrown around in many different contexts, but it has become shorthand for something bigger: The realities of medical malpractice, the challenges we face as physicians, and how best to prevent these mistakes from happening again. In this article we’ll explore what medication errors are and how they can be prevented; why disclosure is so important; how some providers disclose their mistakes while others don’t; and what future research might look like on this topic!

Why do we disclose medication errors?

• To help the patient understand what happened.

• To make sure that any medication errors are reported, so they can be avoided in the future.

• To learn from this mistake and not repeat it again.

• For safety reasons, so patients are educated on how to safely use their medications at home or in the hospital setting.

• This can also help prevent future problems for both patients and health care providers alike by making sure all involved parties are aware of potential hazards associated with certain medications or other medical treatments that could result in serious harm if not handled properly (such as an allergic reaction).

What are the challenges?

There are many challenges to disclosing medication errors. The patient is not always the one harmed by a medication error, and it’s important to consider who will be most affected when making this decision.

• Patients may be children or elders. Children may be more likely to take their medications as prescribed because of fears of harm from taking them incorrectly or a lack of knowledge about how they work in the body; elders may not have time for complicated instructions on how to take their medications properly because they have other things going on in life that require their attention (e.g., caring for an aging parent).

• Patients may be vulnerable due to pain or mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). All of these conditions can impair judgment when choosing between options like food vs medicine—and thus impact whether you would want someone else making decisions on your behalf while under duress! Therefore it is essential that healthcare providers provide support groups where patients can talk openly about these concerns before proceeding further down this path.”

How to disclose?

It’s important to remember that when you’re disclosing medication errors, it’s not about you. Your patients are the ones who need to hear what happened and why it happened.

So, here are some tips for being honest:

• Focus on their needs first. Patients may be upset or frightened by mistakes like this—but they should never feel guilty or blamed in any way! Instead, focus on explaining how the mistake can help them and what steps will be taken to ensure it doesn’t happen again (e.g., getting rid of outdated drugs). If a patient asks if there was anything else wrong with their medication specifically (e.g., “My doctor said I’m having side effects because my dose was too high”), explain that while there were no adverse reactions listed by name on your patient record sheets at the time (and therefore couldn’t be included as part of this disclosure), those side effects might still occur now but only because they weren’t known previously either—you’ve already communicated this fact with them before hand!

• Be empathetic but firm at the same time; don’t sugarcoat things just because someone might get upset about hearing bad news about themselves

What can we learn from these experiences?

The best way to disclose a medication error is to tell the patient. You can do this in one of two ways:

• You can tell them yourself, and they’ll understand that you made a mistake. This is risky because sometimes patients have been through similar experiences before and don’t want their doctor’s mistakes shared with others.

• Another option is to have your nurses or other health care professionals do it for you—but they might not always be able to do so effectively, especially if there are other patients waiting on bedsides who need attention too (which could cause further delays in communicating with patients).

Medication error disclosure should be a regular part of practice, not something we dread.

Most doctors are well aware that medication error disclosure is the best thing for patients and families. It helps us to improve our practice, it improves patient safety and it’s an opportunity for us to learn from our mistakes.

However, disclosure can be a challenge in itself. We all have different ways of dealing with it – some people are nervous about talking about errors openly; others document everything; some don’t want anyone else knowing what happened (even if they want help). But there are also many benefits to disclosing medication errors:

• Patients make more informed decisions about their medicines based on learning how common side effects are or whether they’re possible risks associated with certain drugs or treatments;

• The healthcare team can take steps towards preventing future treatment errors by improving communication between clinicians involved in decision making around drug use;

• Patients may feel more secure knowing that their doctor wants them involved in any decisions which affect their health outcome(s).

Conclusion

In conclusion, we believe that medication error disclosure is a regular part of practice, not something we dread. We have learned from our mistakes and are more mindful about what medications we prescribe in order to avoid future ones. With this mindset, we can continue to improve patient safety and provide better care for all involved!