Metolazone? Methimazole? What's the difference? For nursing home patients, a lot!
The reported settlement of a nursing home negligence case in involving a medication mix-up caught my attention because of my perceived increase in the frequency with which medication errors are occurring at nursing homes across the country. Like many nursing home patients, the patient involved in this incident was a frail, elderly woman, who was dependent on the staff at the skilled nursing facility to provide her with the medications prescribed by her physician. Also, similar to other errors involving nursing homes injuries-- such as deadful bed sores, the errors related to this incident are reflective of mistakes made by...
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Pharmacist Sentenced To Home Confinement After Re-Packaging Drugs For Nursing Home Patients
Pharmacists play an essential role in the well being of nursing home patients by filling physicians prescriptions and in many cases keeping track of all the medications each patient takes to assure there are no contraindications in mixing different drugs. Obviously, keeping track of medications is an difficult but important job. Perhaps the first step towards assuring the safety of nursing home patients who are reliant on prescription drugs is for a pharmacist to assure that the drug contained within a package really is what it should be. An Illinois pharmacist who repackaged drugs bound for nursing home patients will...
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Improper Drug Dosage, Wrong Medication, Interactions With Other Drugs.... May Be The Result Of Pharmaceutical Malpractice
Prescription drugs are invaluable tools in the practice of medicine, used to treat numerous illnesses and diseases. However, prescription errors can result in serious injury and death. In the United States, about 1.5 million preventable adverse drug events occur every year. Pharmaceutical malpractice can occur when a doctor prescribes the wrong medication or incorrect dose or when a pharmacist fills the wrong medication or dosage. The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP) defines a medication error as: "A medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the...
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Wrongful Death Lawsuit Claims Nursing Home Negligently Administered Allergy Inducing Drugs To Patient
The Estate of a deceased nursing home patient has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the facility where she died and other parties who allegedly contributed to her death. The crux of the lawsuit alleges that the staff and physicians at the nursing home failed to note the woman's allergy to medications containing Sulfonamide, a common ingredient in antibiotic medications such as Bactrim. After the the staff at the nursing home began administering Bactrim, the woman began to experience a severe reaction on her skin. According to the lawsuit, "the plaintiff's decedent sustained a severe reaction to the administration of...
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Nurses Caught Administering Insulin To Non-Diabetic Nursing Home Residents
New York Nursing Home inspectors were recently called to investigate, Hilltop Nursing Home, following two incidents where nurses at the facility gave insulin to non-diabetic residents. The residents went into shock and were hospitalized. According to a report from the New York Department of Public Health, the two incidents were investigated following tips made on the telephone hot line. One of the insulin errors involved an LPN who admitted to being under the influence of narcotic medications not prescribed to her. During the recent health department investigations, investigators also determined that nurses at the facility signed out narcotic medications for...
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Half Of Nursing Home Residents Wrongly Drugged
Ever go into a nursing home in the middle of the day? While the rest if the world busy about their business, many nursing home residents are sound asleep or staring blankly at the ceiling. Even may of the residents who appear to be awake have a dulled look in their eyes. A new British Study suggests that many of the nursing home residents who appear to be in trances may be improperly medicated. In a study of 22 nursing homes, 51% of residents were give inappropriate drugs including anti-psychotics, antidepressants and painkillers. Frequently, anti-psychotic drugs are used to treat...
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Insulin Overdose Kills Nursing Home Resident
A nursing home resident in England died after receiving 5 times the normal dosage by a nurse at the nursing home where she resided. The woman who had Parkinson's was unable to communicate her physical needs or her insulin dosage to the nursing home employees. An insulin overdose results in low blood sugar levels, or hypoglycemia. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include: Anxiety Confusion Extreme hunger Fatigue Irritability Sweating or clammy skin Trembling hands If sugar levels continue to fall during an insulin overdose, serious medical complications and even death. Low blood sugar is defined as less than 70 mg/dL. Hypoglycemia is...
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Medication Errors Caused By Patients On The Rise
A study published in the Achieves of Internal Medicine reveals an increase in the number of people who die at home from unsafe use of legal medications. Most of the medications taken in peoples' homes have 'little or no professional support' according to Dr. Michael Negrete, a pharmacist and CEO of the Pharmacy Foundation of California. The study further revealed that most Americans are aware of home medication error problems, but most assume that doctors and pharmacists are in possession of all their medications and are monitoring their use. Read more about medication errors at home here. The results of...
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Preventing Medication Errors: The List
Recently, I discussed medication errors in nursing homes. Every nursing home resident I have seen is on some type of medication or vitamin supplement. The likelihood of suffering an injury due to a medication error is higher than almost any type of treatment rendered in a nursing home. How can you prevent the medication errors from occurring? Jeffery Levine, M.D., author of, Medical-Legal Aspects of Long Term Care, has put together a list for preventing medication errors and adverse drug reactions. Dr. Levine provides the necessary information for a family member to evaluate potential errors in the administration of medication....
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Medication / Pharmaceutical Errors
Medication errors are considered to be any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or harm to a patient. Since 2000, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received more than 95,000 reports of medication errors. FDA reviews reports that come to MedWatch, the agency's adverse event reporting program. (Source: FDA website) The FDA relies on a voluntary reporting for incidents involving medication errors. The actual number of incidents involving errors in the misadministration of medication to be much higher. The term 'medication error' may describe situations involving: physician malpractice, inadequate facility policies and procedures, faulty charting, order miscommunication,...
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