Medication errors in the emergency department - A systems approach to minimizing risk

Drug complications are the most common type of adverse patient event and adverse drug events are a significant presenting complaint of patients seeking treatment in emergency departments. Adverse drug reactions due to medication errors are on the increase and the explosion of new drugs available in the marketplace has made it virtually impossible for physicians, nurses, and pharmacists to keep abreast of all of the latest data concerning the indications, contraindications, drug-interactions, and adverse effects associated with each new drug. If we are to succeed in reducing the injuries caused by medication errors we must evaluate the systems in which we operate and that have fostered the hazards to which our patients are exposed.