• CONSUMERS

How do Adverse Drug Events occur?

Adverse Drug Events occur when:

• The wrong medicine is given to a person
• The wrong dose of a medicine is given to a person
• A person is given medicine to which they have a known allergy
• The medicine is given to the person incorrectly (for example by mouth instead of by injection)
• The medicine is given to a person at the wrong time or doses are missed

Putting the right systems in place

The Safe Medication Management Programme is developing systems to help ensure that the right person receives the right medicine at the right dose by the right route  at the right time.

The Safe Medication Programme is developing the following initiatives:

e-Prescribing and Administration

The SMM Programme is working on systems for e-prescribing and adminsitration so that information about a person’s medicines will be passed within and between health providers electronically. The e-prescribing systems to be developed will provide decision support and warning systems, which will help prevent clinicians from prescribing medicines that will harm patients/consumers.

National Medication Chart

The SMM Programme is working to develop a set of standards for medication charts. Standardising these charts is a key component for the introduction of e-prescribing and administration. In addition, there will be a national medication chart produced for all hospitals to use so that a national consistent approach is promoted in line with best practice principles. 

Standardise and Link Systems

The SMM Programme is working to standardise and link all hospital medicine information systems to ensure consistent information is recorded and available about a person’s medicines.

Unit Dose/Bedside Verification

The SMM Programme is working to look at possible ways of electronically identifying people in hospitals (such as by barcodes on wrist bands) and their medicines. This may include repackaging and bar coding medicines as single doses. People in hospital would then be matched electronically to their medicines before they are given to them. This provides another safety check that the patient is getting the right mediicne in the right dose at the right time.

Medicine Reconciliation (paper and electronic)

The SMM Programme is working to develop electronic systems for medicine reconciliation, which will allow clinicians to develop and see an "most accurate" list of a patient's medicines, which will assist with the prescribing process. This linked electronic system will list the name of the medicine, dose, frequency and route (how it is given i.e. by mouth or injection etc) of a person’s current medicines and compare it to the new prescription or medication chart and alert the clinician to any discrepancies. Patients are expected to provide information about the mediicne they are taking at home and will be asked as by doctors, nurses and pharmacists so that the "most accurate" information is available to provide the best possible care.