Article: Study finds relatively few medication errors result in death or serious harm to patients. (Strategic Notes).(United States Pharmacopeia's Center for the Advancement of Patient Safety report)

Relatively few medication errors in 2001 resulted in harm, according to a recent report, which found that certain types of medication errors are more likely to cause harm or death to patients.

The report from the Rockville, Md.-based United States Pharmacopeia's (USP) Center for the Advancement of Patient Safety found that 2,539 errors out of a total of 105,603, or 2.4% resulted in harm. Of those, 353 required initial or prolonged hospitalization, 70 required intervention to sustain life and 14 resulted in death.

Patients involved in those harmful errors received intensive patient care, which triggered longer hospital stays, extensive testing, additional ...

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