Did you know about 50% of patients take medications incorrectly? Medication errors happen for numerous reasons, and all threaten patient safety. A few statistics reveal just how severe these issues can be. For example, did you know…
- Medication errors are one of the most common medical errors and are estimated to harm at least 1.5 million people annually.
- Each year, adverse drug events (ADEs) account for nearly 700,000 emergency department visits and 100,000 hospitalizations.
- Nearly 5% of hospitalized patients experience an ADE, making them one of the most common types of inpatient errors.
- The additional, annual medical costs of treating drug-related injuries occurring in hospitals alone are at least $3.5 billion.
- More than 1 in 5 readmissions were medication related, and nearly 70% were potentially preventable.
Medication errors not only have the potential to harm patients, but they can also lead to substantial financial penalties for hospitals and contribute to declines in quality ratings. Providers must be proactive in how they approach medication management if they hope to keep patients safe and avoid the ramifications of ADEs and readmissions.
This guide from the medication management experts at Cureatr covers what you need to know to strengthen your organization's medication management process, including the importance of patient education and adherence, challenges that can increase risk, the need to prioritize correct medication administration, valuable services to provide to your patients, worthwhile medication management goals, and much more.
