Common medication errors in long-term care settings

Abstract

Medication management in long-term care settings is a complex process. The infrastructure, staffing and limited accessibility to pharmaceutical and medical resources in long-term care facilities create an environment of high risk with the potential for medication errors to occur. There is some evidence to suggest that at each step along the continuum from prescription to medication delivery to the resident, substantial errors are made. This has the potential to cause significant adverse effects or even hospitalisation for the person concerned. The incidence and prevalence of medication errors have been evaluated in some studies but this data is limited by a lack of consistency in methodology. Limited randomised controlled trials have been undertaken to address medication errors in long-term care settings. However, some research studies show that it is possible to reduce the error rate in medication incidents with the implementation of specific interventions. This chapter will discuss the factors that contribute to medication errors in long-term care settings and provide an overview of some successful interventions that have been implemented to minimise or reduce their occurrence. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.