Patients Can Play A Role In Medication Error Prevention (NAPS)—By understanding how medication errors occur, hospitals may be able to help protect against patient harm. The U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) has created a tool for hospitals to report and track medication errors Drug Therapy Chain | When you use medicinesorhelp others usetheirs, you become part of the drug therapy chain with doctors, pharmacists, and nurses. \ Patient Uses & i} Doctor lgescribes , administers medication medication A in a standardized format. The pro- gram allows facilities to identify processes that result in improved medication use systems and higher quality patient care. MedMARx™(pronounced med-marks) is a program developed through the experience of the USP Practitioners’ Reporting Network. “USP has identified medica- tion error reporting and prevention as a major focus to impact Nurse Pharmacist Transcribes, administers, and Transcribes and dispenses medication sometimesprescribes medication Source: USP (U.S. Pharmacopeia), 1997 @ the public health,” said Diane D. on medication safety to help consumers take an active role in the ence. “We have created Med- 1. Talk with your doctor about your prescription. Cousins, R.Ph., vice president for practitioner and product experiMARx, an Internet-accessible database as a risk-reduction tool for hospitals to anonymously drug therapychain: 2. Make sure you can read the prescription you receive from your doctor or health care provider. 3. Understand whatillness the report, track, and compare medication error data.” Since 1820, USP has established quality standards for medicines in the U.S. Today’s Pharma- drugis treating. 4, Check the label when you get yourprescription. 5. Ask your pharmacist to more than 3,700 drugs and dosage forms for medicines and dietary printed information about your copeia provides standards for supplements. A medication error is preventable. It may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or even patient harm. An error can happen when the medication is in the control of the health care professional or the patient. When consumers use a medi- cine or help others use their medi- cines, they become part of the “drug therapy chain.” USP has established the following ten tips explain the drug and how it works. 6. Ask your pharmacist for prescription. 7. When you get a refill, make sure it is the same drug. 8. Keep records of your med- ications. 9. You may want to purchase a drug information guidebook. 10. If you are sight impaired, ask for assistance from your pharmacist. More information about med- ication error reporting is available at www.usp.org.
