Medication errors at care homes are one of the most common causes of harm – and one of the most common causes of medical errors is prescribing errors. Here is a useful read for caregivers on prescribing errors and how can they be prevented:
Common prescribing errors: How does the eMAR medication system help?
Prescribing is the process whereby a doctor or registered health professional authorises the use of certain medications for a resident. The prescription includes the name of the medicines to be given and instructions about how and when those medicines should be used. Prescribing errors can take many forms. Some common prescribing errors include:
- Incorrect doses: One of the most common prescription errors is giving the right medication but in the wrong dose or via the wrong route. While administering a dose lesser than what is prescribed can make the treatment less effective, overdosing can lead to severe symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and rashes. In some cases, overdosing can be life-threatening. This prescribing error can happen under different circumstances – In order to save time, caregivers may not check the MAR sheets thoroughly or inadequate communication between caregivers can lead to overdose or missed doses.
How can eMAR help?
Using an e-prescribing system such as eMAR medication system can help enhance patient safety and reduce medical errors. The eMAR medication system provides all the information that is needed to administer the medication. Caregivers do not have to go through piles of MAR sheets to cull out information about each patient. Alerts and prompts can ensure that no dosage is missed. The real-time updation of the eMAR system ensures that different caregivers are aware that the medication has been administered.
- Wrong route: Administering a medication through the wrong route is another common prescribing error. Some medications are administered orally while others are given intravenously (by IV , intrathecally (into the spinal cord) or topically. When caregivers due to lack of training, knowledge or even time administer a medicine via a route different than the intended route, it can cause serious side effects, sometimes even long-term effects.
How can eMAR help?
eMAR lets caregivers access all the important information related to the resident and his/her medication with a few clicks. With eMAR, caregivers can easily verify the prescribed route – it is less time consuming than going through a bunch of MAR sheets manually.
- Illegible details: Prescribing errors can also result from illegible handwriting. An error due to illegible handwriting can occur at either the prescription stage or at the transcription stage. Illegible handwriting thus creates confusion for caregivers who may either administer the wrong drug that has similar spelling.
How can eMAR help?
eMAR medication system aims to reduce medication errors related to handwriting and transcription. eMAR allows doctors to write directly on a drug chart rather than on a piece of paper which is then transcribed by someone else. This also reduces delay in accessing medication and allows caregivers to order medication on-site. This simplifies the inventory process too.
To avoid medication errors in care homes, caregivers are advised to follow 8 Rs of medication administration.
From MAR sheets in care homes to eMAR in care homes – make the change today
If you are planning to implement eMAR at your care home, book a demo. All demos can be
provided remotely. We can also provide eMAR training to your staff.
