Around 237 million medicines errors happen every year – don’t let your organisation add to that number.
It has been reported that medicines errors are contributing to 4 to 5 deaths a day in the UK. Here are just some of the recent articles that have been reporting this:
NHS medication errors contribute to as many as 22,000 deaths a year, major report shows
Drug errors cause appalling harm and deaths, says Hunt
NHS medicine errors may have contributed to 22,000 deaths a year
These mistakes include:
- Wrong medications being given
- Incorrect doses dispensed
- Delays in medication being administered
The Government is working with Pharmacists, GPs and hospitals to prevent medicines errors but you can do your bit too:
- Train your staff on the correct way to administer and handle medicines so they feel confident and competent;
- Have a clear and concise medicines policy that staff can easily follow and implement when administering medicines;
- Competency assess your staff regularly to ensure knowledge is being put in practice by staff.
Having well trained and competent staff with the skills to administer medicines safely provides:
- Peace of mind to the people you support
- Reassurance to their loved ones
- Confidence to the Regulator
If you are interested in reducing the medicines errors in your organisation, search our range of accredited medicines courses today.