How technology affects your risk of medication errors.
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Humans↗
Biomedical subjects
Matthew Grissinger
Publications and source records attributed to Matthew Grissinger.
Misadventures in insulin therapy: are you at risk?
About dollar 1 out of every dollar 7 spent on health care is related to diabetes mellitus, a leading cause of blindness and kidney failure and a strong risk factor for heart disease. Prevalence of the disease has increased by a third among adults in general in the last decade, but intensive therapy has been shown to delay the onset and slow the progression of diabetes-related complications. While insulin therapy remains key in the management of type 1 diabetes, many patients with type 2, or insulin-resistant, diabetes encounter insulin administration errors that compromise the quality of insulin delivery. Insulin errors are a major, but modifiable, barrier to dosing accuracy and optimal diabetes control for many patients. Future trends to combat the problem include increased use of insulin inhalers and smaller doses of rapid- or short-acting insulin to supplement longer-acting injections.
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JCAHO: meeting the standards for patient safety. Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
JCAHO standards have been revamped to focus on patient safety, and medications are an important area of emphasis. A proactive FMEA can identify a nd prevent potential problems in medication systems. Institutions should create or modify policies to require clear, unambiguous communication of medication orders. Patients and families should be taught to question procedures or medications that they do not think they should be receiving. Within a nonpunitive environment, staff should be educated about error-prone processes, high-risk patients, and high-alert medications.
Humans↗
Misadventures in insulin therapy: are your members at risk?
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this supplement is to increase awareness of and insight into the importance of preventing medication misadventures and provide new perspectives on effective management of diabetes through improved insulin therapy and review the issues that represent barriers to achieving treatment goals. Opportunities for managed care pharmacists and health care practitioners to influence enhanced quality of life, decrease mortality, and reduce health care costs will be highlighted. Attention will also be given to error prevention strategies, including improved preparation, storage, delivery, and administration of insulin products. SUMMARY: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus continues to increase at an alarming rate, spurring a corresponding increase in the use of insulin. Insulin therapy, although currently the most effective treatment for patients with type 1 diabetes and many patients with type 2 diabetes, is fraught with safety concerns, especially those associated with medication errors. As glycemic goals have become more rigorous (ie., glycosylated hemoglobin levels of <6.5%-7%), clinical studies have clearly shown that intensive insulin therapy (3 or more injections daily) is often a necessary step toward achieving satisfactory glycemic control. This supplement explores the current level of diabetic care; the barriers to optimal insulin therapy, including medication errors; and the myriad factors that can increase the risks for medication errors among physicians, managed care pharmacists, and patients. Strategies for reducing medication errors in the management of diabetes are also considered.
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