Drug Errors In Care Homes Very Common, UK

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Seniors / Aging
Also Included In: Caregivers / Homecare
Article Date: 13 Jan 2012 - 10:00 PST

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According to a study conducted by the University of Warwick and the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE), a new electronic medication management system developed in the UK for nursing and residential homes, has been demonstrated to considerably lower the number of drug administration errors.

In the study, the researchers recorded all medication administrations day and night for 345 older residents in 13 (9 residential and 4 nursing) homes rated as good or higher by national regulator inspection in the South, West, Midlands, and North West of England.

They discovered that 90% of residents were exposed to at least one medication administration error over a three month period. Of the 90%, more than half were exposed to more serious errors, such as receiving the wrong medication.

Ala Szczepura, Professor of Health Services Research at Warwick Medical School, explained:

"Older people in long-term residential care are clearly at increased risk of medication errors. It is known that staff in care homes are administering, on average, seven different drugs to residents, and that medication rounds occupy approximately one-third of nursing time.

Since 37% of people with dementia now live in a care home, many residents are unable to comment on their medication. New technology (a computerized barcode system) can accurately alert staff to, and prevent, inappropriate attempts to administer drugs to residents. This tool can reliably be used by care staff as well as nurses to improve quality of care and patient safety."

The researchers examined 188,249 attempts to administer medication in order to find out the frequency of possible errors in medication administration. Every month, each resident received around 9 different medications and received 206 medication administrations. Each resident experienced on average 6.6 potential errors. The most prevalent error was giving drugs at the incorrect time.

Investigator Deidre Wild from UWE said:

"The majority of residents are cared for in a residential home with no on-site nursing staff. In such homes the management of prescribed medication is undertaken by social care staff who may have had no formal training in safe practice. Prior to technology introduction, only 12% of staff administering drugs reported they were aware of administration errors occurring in their care home."

Tariq Muhammad, Managing Director of Pharmacy Plus who developed the system commented:

"This has been a really important project looking at an often neglected area, the safety of people in residential care homes. Care homes are not generally considered a priority, but they account for a large amount of NHS and social care costs and time. One in 15 hospital admissions is due to medication errors, and the resultant cost of hospital stays to the NHS is £1 billion per year."

Written by Grace Rattue
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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