Medication Error Report Issued By IOM

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) today released a report outlining the prevalence of medication errors in the United States. Preventing Medication Errors (http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11623.html) is the latest volume in the Quality Chasm Series launched in 1996 by the IOM. The report articulates the frequency of medication errors & provides recommendations on how to prevent them.

“Arizona consumers will be pleased to know that our state’s healthcare community is deeply engaged in patient safety with a particular focus on medication safety,” said Adda Alexander, RN, executive vice president, Arizona Hospital & Healthcare Association (AzHHA). “We view patients as our partners in medication safety.”

That partnership was taken to new level on Sept. 1st, 2005, when The Med Form was introduced to consumers by AzHHA, the Arizona Medical Association, the Arizona Partnership for Implementing Patient Safety (APIPS) & nearly 100 other organizations. The Med Form is a free, easy-to-use tool for patients to maintain a single record of all medications, as well as immunization & allergy information (www.themedform.com). The Med Form is kept up-to-date by patients & presented to providers at each healthcare visit to provide an accurate medication history for inclusion in their medical records. Carrying a list of medications should be as automatic to consumers as carrying a health insurance card or driver’s license.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that The Med Form can prevent medication errors & save lives,” said Bruce Bethancourt, Jr., MD, APIPS chair & medical director, Banner Arizona. “As the IOM report emphasizes, providers & patients are partners in medication error prevention. Communication is the key & The Med Form is an excellent tool to facilitate that communication.”

Additionally, the report includes numerous recommendations for pharmacies to participate in reducing medication errors. The IOM is encouraging consumers to check their prescription labels to ensure they are identical to what their physician prescribed.

“Pharmacists are trained to counsel patients about their prescriptions,” said Linda McCoy, PharmD, past president, Arizona State Board of Pharmacy. “The IOM report recommendations are hand-in-hand with that process.”

Preventing Medication Errors also recommends the use of technology to avoid medication errors. In Arizona, the use of e-health technology is slowly evolving in the medical community, with physicians beginning to explore & utilize electronic medical records & e-prescribing. Numerous Arizona hospitals have created internal systems for electronic medication prescribing & tracking. Additionally, Gov. Janet Napolitano initiated in August 2005 the Health-e Connection campaign that seeks to create a statewide information technology infrastructure that will connect physicians, hospitals, pharmacies, insurers & others through e-health technologies, such as electronic medical records, e-prescribing, to enhance health care delivery for Arizona’s citizens.

The IOM’s Committee on Identifying and Preventing Medication Errors has outlined the steps patients may take to avoid medication errors. To access The Med Form, visit www.themedform.com.