In a recent post, we wrote on the issue of medication errors in nursing home settings and noted the surprising frequency with which these errors occur. Medication errors are not uncommon only among the elderly, though, but also in health care settings involving children. According to a new study which looked at a number of previous studies on the issue of medication errors, anywhere from five to 27 percent of all medication prescriptions for children result in child patients taking the incorrect dosage of the drug.
Medication errors may improve with pharmacists' help
Errors can occur in any area of medical practice. One quite common area for errors to occur is with the prescription and administration of medications. Not surprisingly, emergency room departments are places where medication errors are not uncommon. Because mistakes in this area can sometimes have serious ramifications, it is in the interest of hospitals to address the issue.
