Emergency ward is the high pressure environment where medical work quick to save lives. Pharmacist plays a key role in making sure that right medicine given to the right person at the right time . Pharmacist make medicine errors which may leads to serious harm
What is medication error : a medication error is a preventable mistake while dispensing or giving medicine . This mistake can be happen at any stage and causes harm delay in recovery and sometimes even death
How pharmacist make mistake in emergency ward?
High work load - emergency ward are busy places where pharmacist over loaded with work and make mistakes
Poor communication - misunderstanding between doctors nurses and pharmacist leads to give wrong drug or dose
**Lack of patient information -**pharmacist may aware of patients past history like allergies . Given medicines harm a patients
Same drug names or packaging - some drug’s LASA ( look a like and sound a a like drugs ) confuses the experience pharmacist and leads to the wrong medicine being dispensed
Technical errors - problem with electronic system like not updated , bar code failure can leads serious medication mistake
Real life examples
A pharmacist gives hydroxyzine instead of hydralazine leads untreated high blood pressure
A child receives wrong dose because weight is not mentioned properly
What results of these errors?
Delayed recovery , allergic reactions , side effects
The hospital and pharmacist may face legal claims or penalties
Pharmacist may feel guilt and loses confidence
The hospital may have to spend more cost and better treatment
How can we prevent these errors?
better staffing - Hiring enough pharmacist giving them proper rest to avoid mistake’s
using technology- bar coding and electronic prescription helps to avoid these mistakes
Training- regular training helps to the pharmacist to work properly . Confident in emergency conditions.
providing enough support to the pharmacist to report errors without fear of punishment helps to improve system and prevent errors
Medication errors in the emergency ward really highlight how high-pressure that environment is. Even experienced pharmacists can make mistakes when they’re overloaded, communication isn’t clear, or patient information is missing. I think preventing these errors needs a combination of things: enough staff so no one is overworked, better use of technology like barcodes and electronic prescriptions, and regular training to keep everyone confident under pressure. Also, creating a culture where pharmacists can report mistakes without fear could really help improve the system and keep patients safe.
To make emergency wards safer, hospitals must treat pharmacists as vital members of the emergency team giving them the tools, training, and support they need to perform at their best.
I think “verbalization" may help i.e., speaking (each drug name and dose) out loud and matching it with what’s there in the hand, before giving it over. This can efficiently catch the mistakes our eyes may miss. Drugs that are critical and used during emergency, should be kept separately at a place inside the pharmacy and also the drugs can be grouped and kept at different places based upon their route of administration as this can provide protection against many mishaps. Before handing over any high-risk medication, it is important to take a pause of few seconds confirming the patient identity and age, checking the allergies, and clearly observing the dose written.
Medication errors in emergency wards can have serious consequences, so prevention is key. I think better staffing, proper training, use of technology like barcodes, and open communication between doctors, nurses, and pharmacists can make a big difference. Creating a supportive environment where pharmacists can report mistakes without fear will also help improve patient safety.
It is very important to give right medication as it comes to one’s life and death. Before passing on the medicine to doctors pharmacist should confirm it by rechecking it with doctors and reinsure it.
Exactly, adequate staffing, proper training and better work environment would definitely help the pharmacists to do their work more clearly and with greater focus, thereby minimizing the risk of medication errors.
Well explained . I think along with technology and training, clear communication between the whole healthcare team is the key to preventing such medication errors, especially in highpressure emergency settings.
Medication error in emergency wards can be serious, but with better staffing, clear communication, updated technology, and regular training, they can be reduced. Creating a supportive environment for reporting mistakes is key to improving safety.
Yes, pharmacists should be well trained for dispensing medicines. Mostly LASA drugs create confusion with the doctor’s handwriting but still can be identified with proper knowledge of drugs. A pharmacist should be very attentive while dispensing medicines and be sure shot of the drugs name and dosage written on the prescription.
Medication errors in emergency wards can be life-threatening, and your points are clearly explained. I believe better teamwork and communication between doctors, nurses, and pharmacists can reduce many mistakes. Also, using updated systems and double-checking LASA drugs is very helpful. Giving pharmacists proper rest and support is also needed—they work under pressure and deserve care too.
I believe pharmacists should be thoroughly trained to handle such situations in the operation theatre. They must receive proper education and hands-on training before being assigned this critical responsibility. Additionally, it is essential to ensure that the prescribed medicine is exactly what is dispensed, in order to avoid errors during such crucial moment.
In an emergency ward, every second counts, but so does every decision. One dispensing error can cost a life—double-checking is not a delay, it’s a safeguard.
Training is needed.
Working in an emergency ward is not an easy task.
You have to be on your toes everytime
Its not just about making mistakes,
Its about not repeating the same again
Mistakes happen,
Let me tell you my story,
I missed a ST segment depression ( it was subtle so I didn’t interpret it ) on a person’s ECG, I marked it as normal as the Casualty was flooding with patients and I needed the bed
Gave the patient some antacids for chest pain and discharged
Later that night patient came again with severe chest pain
In the second ECG, the ST depression was deepened,
Troponin was positive
And the patient was diagnosed for Acute MI
Luckily the resident was on time and saved the patient
But only if
I carry the regret though,
Only if I would’ve catched the ST depression early,
What if the patient would’ve taken the antacids again and didn’t came back to the hospital?
Since then, I made a promise to myself never to miss what’s on an ECG
I still need to learn more on ECG interpretation
And I’m learning about it everyday
. I think along with technology and training, clear communication between the whole healthcare team is the key to preventing such medication errors, especially in highpressure emergency settings.