Medication Administration Errors Research Paper

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Introduction
Medication administration errors occur multiple times every day. To illustrate, The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) reported in 2007 that 1 in 10 patients experience medication-related errors (Edwards, 2015, 398). Medication administration errors (MAEs) are easily preventable, but procedural changes and teaching is necessary for health care professionals. THESIS GOES HERE. PAPER OUTLINE GOES HERE. TRANSITION GOES HERE.
Literature Review
Medication administration safety in health care is a vast field. Ultimately, medication administration safety encompasses a step-by-step process of knowledge. The 5 R’s are the most important part of medication administration safety. Health care professionals administering medication should …show more content…
Finally, the third source, which is “Medication errors: Don’t let them happen to you,” written by Pamela Anderson, MS, RN and Terri Townsend, MA, RN, and was previously mentioned in this paragraph. To illustrate the similarity of all three sources, Anderson and Townsend discuss ten key elements of medication use, but only medication storage, stock, standardization and distribution and staff education and competency will be focused on next. Furthermore, the source also argues information provided in the previous two sources. In regards to medication storage, Deb Stroud argued the importance of technologically advanced medication carts. Anderson and Townsend contradict this point, stating “errors can occur even when automated dispensing cabinets are stocked by technicians… a technician filled and automated cabinet with the wrong concentration of a premixed potassium chloride I.V. solution.” (Anderson, Townsend, 2010) To compare the magazine article to the research-study, the American Nurse Today article also discusses the importance of staff education. The …show more content…
Errors in medication administration may result in allergic reactions, drug overdoses and even death. In the article “Medication errors: Don’t let them happen to you” written by Pamela Anderson, R.N. and Terri Townsend, R.N., sobering statistics are included. Anderson and Townsend state that MAEs “injury 1.5 million Americans each year and cost $3.5 billion in lost productivity, wages and additional medication expenses.” (Anderson, Townsend, 2010) Preventing MAEs is necessary for all aspects of the health care field. When MAEs are made, money is lost, patients’ health are compromised and health care professionals risk damaging their career. There are many benefits to maintaining medication administration safety. To help maintain safety, health care professionals must have adequate knowledge and the proper environment to do so. Sharon Edwards and Sue Axe discuss the importance of understanding medication management in health care in their journal article “The 10 R’s of safe multidisciplinary drug administration” from Nurse Prescribing journal. Edwards and Axe state that it is important to have a quiet environment to help eliminate the risk for MAEs. Many MAEs are “related to human error and environmental factors, since drug administration often takes place in noisy hospital environments…” (Edwards, Axe
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