Medication Errors

Working in a fast-paced environment with access to little information, New Mexico paramedics and other EMS workers have to make decisions quickly. However, this may lead to errors or witnessing others making errors that could be prevented. With job aides and...

According to the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, medical errors harm 1.5 million Americans annually. A lack of standardization revolving around liquid oral and IV medications is thought to be one of the...

For New Mexico patients who have HIV, it can be difficult to keep track of all the medications they may be required to take. Potential medical errors are also more likely to occur once the patient transitions from acute hospitalization to being back in the general...

The FDA is taking steps to the reduce the risk of medication error, which is a leading cause of harm for New Mexico residents seeking medical assistance. The new measures consist of guidelines for manufacturers to clarify labeling and make packaging more...

According to some studies, around 20 percent of all prescriptions written by U.S. doctors are for drugs that aren't designed for the problems being treated. These off-label drug usages could impact numerous patients in New Mexico and around the country. Experts...

It is estimated that as many as 7,000 people become the victims of a fatal medication error each year. The risk of medication errors is not limited just to prescription drugs. A dosage mistake or other fatal error can just as easily happen with an over-the-counter...

Most hospitals in New Mexico and throughout the U.S. have computerized systems that allow physicians to enter medication orders for patients. However, a survey conducted by a patient safety group suggests that the software used by hospitals has problems flagging...

New Mexico residents may be concerned to learn that studies the looking into medication errors made during surgery may have greatly underestimated the problem. Most previous research into this area has relied on reports made by surgical staff, and it generally...

Medication errors are some of the most common types of medical mistakes doctors, hospitals and other medical professionals make. There are several things New Mexico residents can do in order to reduce the likelihood that such an error will happen to them or to their...

Each year, hospital emergency rooms across the United States see roughly 7,000 children injured because of medication errors, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, many senior citizens and other adults in New Mexico and around the country also...