Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To investigate the distribution and effectiveness of interventions toward medication errors related with drug allergy and skin test among inpatients.
METHODS Records during 2014-2017 were aggregated and analyzed by utilizing inappropriate physician orders documented by auditing pharmacists, medication administration errors derived from nursing administration system and medication errors derived from an online no-fault reporting system. Quality improvement measures were discussed.
RESULTS The total number of related near misses decreased year by year, with the ratio of the number of near misses to discharged patients reducing from 0.277 3% to 0.116 4% (2014
vs 2017,
P=0.000 0) and relative proportion of annual near misses decreasing from 8.82% to 2.12% (2014
vs 2017,
P=0.000 0); the ratio of the number of adverse events to discharged patients decreased from 0.016 3% to 0.005 9% (2014
vs 2017,
P=0.009 7). The top 10 medications related with near misses included Shenmai injection, thymosin, parecoxib, amoxicillin, piperacillin sodium/tazobactam sodium, cefuroxime sodium, cefotiam, latamoxef, Tanreqing injection, amoxicillin clavulanate potassium, cefoperazone/sulbactam (juxtaposition tenth). Adverse events involved β-lactams, sulfanilamides, fluoroquinolones, vitamine B1, thymopentin, salmon calcitonin, iron sucrose and Compound Iodide solution.
CONCLUSION Comprehensive interventions by collaboration among physicians, pharmacists, nurses, information engineers and quality management staff can effectively reduce the occurrence of medication errors related with drug allergy and skin test.