Elsevier

Geriatric Nursing

Volume 22, Issue 6, November–December 2001, Pages 338-339
Geriatric Nursing

Home Health Care
Preventing medication errors in the home*,**

https://doi.org/10.1067/mgn.2001.120998Get rights and content

Section snippets

Accurate documentation

Accountable and concise nursing care delivery calls for each nurse to examine the patient’s record, particularly the physician order sheet and medication record, before going into the home. This review is done whether the nurse has to administer medication or assess whether the patient or family is administering medications correctly. The patient’s medical record must be complete and the medication list updated as needed.

The patient and family often are asked to document medications the former

Polypharmacy

Polypharmacy—the use of multiple medications to treat one or more health conditions3—is especially prevalent among the elderly, who may have multiple health problems. Polypharmacy can greatly increase the risk of drug interactions and adverse effects and poses an increased risk when the patient takes medications from the same category for a particular disease process, such as two diuretic agents for congestive heart failure. This often occurs if the patient is seeing multiple health care

Medication calculation

The nurse must have a working knowledge of medication calculations because errors can lead to improper dosing, which in turn increases the risk of injury and death. Nurses should never assume that another nurse or other health care professional, such as a pharmacist, has correctly calculated the medication dosage. For example, administering an antibiotic ordered based on kilograms of body weight for a pediatric patient is a situation the home health nurse will encounter. It is the nurse’s

Practitioner knowledge

A nurse understandably may find it difficult to stay abreast of all the new drugs prescribed for a patient, but it is vitally important the nurse have access to whatever knowledge is needed regarding that patient’s medication regimen. Carrying a current drug guide into the home can serve as an immediate resource if information is needed. This resource applies not only to newer medications on the market but also drugs that have been out for a long period. For example, the patient who is allergic

Patient knowledge

A well-informed and knowledgeable patient and family are vital in preventing medication errors. The teaching/learning process is an ongoing interaction between the nurse, patient, and family. Before beginning the process, the patient’s and family’s educational levels, sensory deficits, emotional issues, language barriers, psychomotor skills, and current levels of knowledge must be assessed. Cultural and religious practices also must be considered. The patient must be willing and motivated to

Conclusion

Medication errors can produce serious physical, emotional, and financial consequences. A great deal of health care has moved and will continue to shift out of the acute care setting into the home. Patients and families are expected to perform as much self-care as possible and take responsibility for such areas as medication administration. By following these guidelines, medication errors in the home environment will be less likely to occur.

References (4)

  • National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention. About medication errors. Available from:...
  • EP Cowley

    Assessing and preventing medication errors in home care

    Home Health Care Consultant

    (2000)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (0)

*

ELAINE HURME, RN, MS, is an assistant professor and CATHI A. POURCIAU, RN, MSN, FNP-C, is the clinical coordinator for graduate programs in nursing at the Southern University School of Nursing in Baton Rouge, La.

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Geriatr Nurs 2001;22:338-9

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