1.5 Million Americans Hurt by Drug Errors
According to the Associated Press, the Institute of Medicine released a study reporting that over 1.5 million Americans receive injuries annually because of drug errors in hospitals, doctor's offices and nursing homes. On average, one hospitalized patient is a victim of a medication error daily notwithstanding efforts by hospitals to correct these problems. While fixing these problems is challenging, doctors and hospitals have little or no financial incentive to make the reasonable changes needed to put an end to these injuries. The study identifies essential steps needed to prevent these injuries, including the recommendation that healthcare providers write all prescriptions electronically by 2010.
