Joint Commission issues Sentinel Event Alert about pediatric medication errors
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
April 16, 2008
The Joint Commission’s most recent Sentinel Event Alert takes aim at pediatric medication errors, stating that administering medications designed for adults to children puts young patients at a higher risk.
The report calls for additional precautions to prevent errors such as:
- Standardization of medications
- Better medication identification techniques
- Improved communication regarding medications
- Standardization of weight measurement (kilograms) when calculating dosages
According to U.S. Pharmacopeia, the majority of harmful medication errors over the past two years have been the result of incorrect dosage, frequently occurring when hospitals must alter dosage or concentration of medications designed for adults for administering to younger patients.
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