Preventable Medication Errors in High Risk Cardiac Patients; A call for Systematic Reconsideration for Social Health

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate professor of Cardiology, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 Assistant professor of Cardiology, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
Active and informed role of patients in their medications could prevent many following errors and their overall costs. Due to vast amount of prescriptions in cardiac patients and their higher vulnerability, we set up to study their information around medications.
Materials and Methods
This descriptive, Cross- sectional study was performed during March 2004 to Feb. 2005 by direct interview with patients having the history of admission at least once in emergency wards of ghaem or Imamreza hospitals, asking name, dosage, frequency usage of their drugs besides questions to distinguish between cardiac and none cardiac drugs, their source of information and the causes of patients' delay (if there) to get their drugs from Pharmacy.
Results
From 300 studied cases, with mean admission rate of 4.3±2.6 in cardiology departments, 76% of patients did not even know the name of their prescribed drugs and 31 % of them could not basically distinguish between their cardiac and non cardiac drugs, 20.3 % of patients did not know the time, dosage and frequency of drug administration. The patients believed that only 13.3 % of their drug information and education are from pharmacies. 19.3% of patients had delay to get their prescribed drugs.
Conclusion
Our patients' level of awareness about their medication is very low. This weakness could easily lead to medication errors, and its related morbidity and mortality. Prevention seeks for immediate systematic solution.

Keywords

medical journal of mashhad university of medical sciences
Volume 55, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
January and February 2013
Pages 201-205

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