Member News
The number of medication errors reported to the NHS has more than doubled in two years, according to figures published on Thursday.
A report by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) found that the number of reported incidents had risen from 36,335 in 2005 to 64,678 in 2006 and to 86,085 in 2007.
The rise in reporting was attributed to a greater willingness by NHS staff to come forward.
In the majority of cases there was little or no harm to patients, the report added.
But the NPSA did receive 100 medication incident reports of death and severe harm.
Most serious incidents were caused by errors in medicine administration (41 per cent) and prescribing (32 per cent).
Types of medicines most frequently associated with severe harm include cardiovascular, anti-infective, opioid, anticoagulant and anti-platelet medicines.
NPSA chief executive Martin Fletcher said: “Millions of medicines are prescribed in the community and in hospitals across England and Wales each day – the majority of these are delivered correctly and do exactly what they are meant to do.
"However when an incident does occur, it is vital we learn from this to ensure patients are not harmed.”
However Professor David Cousins, a senior pharmacist at the agency, said it was well known that only around 10 per cent of incidents were actually reported.
The top-five errors in England and Wales were; patients being given the wrong dose; medicines being missed or delayed; the wrong drug being used; the wrong quantity (such as too much chemotherapy) and mismatching, where one patients medication is given to another.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.