Authors

José Antonio Sepúlveda Armendáriz

Position

Diplomado en Enfermería. Unidad de Neonatología, Hospital del Tajo.

Contact email: jantonio.sepulveda@salud.madrid.org

Abstract

Medication errors and their prevention are aspects of clinical practice very closely related to the nursing profession. The error is inherent to human behaviour and the nurse exerts maximum awareness on its prevention as 30 to 36% of the adverse effects caused by medication are avoidable.  

This article presents a general description of medication error problems, and is specifically aimed at its prevention and reporting of such errors on the part of the nurses.

The article mirrors the situation in Spain, describing the main concept related to medication errors. It also indicates how these medication errors can be classified depending on the time the therapeutic process is at when the errors are made and the type of damage caused to the patient.

The participation of the nursing professional is analysed in each phase of the process from the prescription of the medicine to its administration reviewing the general characteristics of the Medication Error Notification System and the importance of collaborating towards a safer clinical practice.

Errors are not the result of individual failure but the result of a system failure, allocation of guilt does not prevent error. The role of the nurse as the ensurer of the patient´s safety is undeniable and his or her role in the control of health risk of paramount importance.

Keywords:

adverse reactions; error notification; medication errors; patient safetyprevention

Versión en Español

Título:

Prevención de errores de medicación