You Are Working At A Long-Term Care Facility And Have Been A ✓ Solved

You Are Working At A Long Term Care Facility And Have Been Appointed T

You are working at a long-term care facility and have been appointed to serve on a new committee. The purpose of the committee is to improve medication safety in the facility. Currently, the medication orders are handwritten in each patient’s chart. The orders are then sent to the pharmacy via fax. The nurses copy the medication orders by hand onto the medication administration record (MAR). The facility does not use barcoding or computer-generated MARs. Medications are supplied from the pharmacy in bulk rather than in unit dose.

Discuss the potential for medication errors in the current system. What processes are in place that could make medication errors more likely to occur?

Develop suggested solutions for each of the process issues identified. What additional suggestions for improving medication safety can you identify?

What would be the potential advantages and disadvantages of implementing a barcoding system in this facility?

Sample Paper For Above instruction

Medication safety is a critical concern in long-term care facilities due to the vulnerability of residents and the complexity of medication management. The current system at this facility, characterized by handwritten orders, fax transmissions, manual copying onto MARs, and bulk medication supplies, presents several risks for medication errors. These risks include misinterpretation of handwritten orders, transcription errors, and discrepancies between prescribed and administered medications. Each step introduces potential points of failure, which can adversely affect resident safety (Barker et al., 2016).

One significant process contributing to medication errors is the handwritten order system. Legibility issues or abbreviations may lead to misinterpretation; for example, similar abbreviations can cause confusion between medication names or dosages. The reliance on fax transmission can result in incomplete or distorted information, especially if the fax is unclear or lost. Transcription errors occur when nurses manually copy orders onto MARs, which may be prone to human error, such as skipping or misreading a line. Using bulk medications instead of unit doses increases the risk of dosing errors due to manual measurement or dispensing inaccuracies (Farris et al., 2020).

To address these issues, transitioning to an electronic prescribing system could reduce errors related to handwriting and transcription. Electronic health records (EHRs) with integrated computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems can improve accuracy and clarity of orders. Additionally, replacing fax communications with secure electronic transmission minimizes transmission errors and delays. Implementing unit-dose dispensing reduces the risk of dosing mistakes by providing pre-packaged medications tailored to individual residents, promoting safer medication administration (Barker et al., 2016).

Further improvements could include staff education on medication safety protocols and encouraging a culture of reporting and analysis of errors to facilitate continuous improvement. Incorporating barcode medication administration (BCMA) technology can further enhance safety by ensuring the right medication is given at the right dose and time, verified by barcode scanning. However, implementing BCMA systems has disadvantages, such as high initial costs, staff training requirements, and potential technical failures. Moreover, reliance on technology may lead to complacency among staff if not properly managed, underscoring the importance of comprehensive training and system evaluation (Farris et al., 2020).

In conclusion, the current medication management system presents several vulnerabilities that could be mitigated through technological improvements such as electronic prescribing, use of unit-dose medications, and barcode verification. While such advancements require investment and training, they ultimately contribute to enhanced resident safety and quality of care in long-term settings.

References

• Barker, A. L., Flynn, L., Farrell, J., Patterson, D., & Carnahan, H. (2016). Medication administration safety in residential aged care facilities: A review of the literature. Geriatric Nursing, 37(6), 424–429.
• Farris, K. B., Bezverkhni, T., & Green, N. (2020). Technological innovations in medication safety: Barriers and facilitators. Journal of Patient Safety & Risk Management, 25(3), 139–146.