Abstract

IDENTIFICATION, EVALUATION AND ANALYSIS OF MEDICATION SAFETY ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH ALERT MEDICATIONS IN A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL

Dr. Akhila S. Arjun*, Liya Jose, Mareena Cyriac and Neethu Anna Stephen

Abstract

A high-alert medication (HAM) is a “medication that bears a heightened risk of causing significant patient harm when used in error.” High Alert Medications are frequently associated with harm; the harm they cause is serious. The objectives were to identify and determine the percentage of HAMs in ICU and to calculate the rate of medication error caused by HAMs, and to develop strategies to reduce ME by HAM. A prospective observational study was conducted for a period of six months in ICU patients at SSIMS, Davangere, Karnataka. 175 prescriptions meeting the inclusion criteria were included for the study. The data required for the study was collected from the patient‟s case sheet. The patients were followed until they were shifted up from ICU. After analyzing prescriptions, the rate of medication error caused by HAMs was calculated. Following the identified HAM specific errors, strategies were developed and distributed in ICU. The study included 175 patients, in that 123 were males and 52 were females. Out of 175 cases, 150 cases were identified with at least 1 HAM and 25 cases were without HAM. A total of 2125 drugs were determined, in that 277 were HAMs. We determined a total of 776 medication errors from 175 cases among that 310 errors were caused by HAMs. The rate of error caused by HAM was found to be 40%. Based on the HAM specific medication errors identified, strategies were formulated and distributed in ICU department.

Keywords: ICU, HAM, Medication errors.