Biases Can Get in the Way of Important Shared Safety Lessons

Abstract

Most professionals have read many tragic tales about medication errors published in various media sources, including in this column and in the Institute for Safe Medication Practice’s (ISMP’s) Medication Safety Alert! and Nurse Advise-ERR publications. These examples have included events from acute care locations and emergency departments across the United States. As with most serious events, these errors were the result of the intersection between faulty organizational systems and risky human behaviors, as demonstrated by the following examples: Susan Paparella, Member, Bux-Mont Chapter, is Vice President at the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP ⁎ISMP is a nonprofit organization that works closely with health care practitioners, consumers, hospitals, regulatory agencies, and professional organizations to educate caregivers about preventing medication errors. ISMP is the premier international resource on safe medication practices in health care institutions. If you would like to report medication errors to help others, E-mail us at: [email protected] or call (800)FAIL-SAF(e). This Medication Error Reporting Program keeps information confidential and secure. We will include only the level of detail that the reporter wishes in our publications.ISMP is a nonprofit organization that works closely with health care practitioners, consumers, hospitals, regulatory agencies, and professional organizations to educate caregivers about preventing medication errors. ISMP is the premier international resource on safe medication practices in health care institutions. If you would like to report medication errors to help others, E-mail us at: [email protected] or call (800)FAIL-SAF(e). This Medication Error Reporting Program keeps information confidential and secure. We will include only the level of detail that the reporter wishes in our publications.), Horsham, PA.