Any health and social care organisation must take the handling of medication seriously. Processes must be established that provide secure, effective and consistent medication administration for patient safety. Here are some reasons why this is so important:
Reduce errors – Making a mistake with medication can have serious consequences. It could render the drug ineffective, cause unwanted and unpleasant side effects or even death of a patient. Correct administration procedures ensure improvements in patient safety and their care.
Targeted care – When the right medication is administered in the correct way, healthcare providers can give better, more targeted care to their patients. This results in better outcomes and monitoring. For example, if a patient declines, the dosage can be altered more effectively. To find out more about Safe handling of medication courses, go to Tidal Training
Reduce cost – When mistakes happen, they often result in a requirement for emergency treatment. The error is dangerous as well as costly as the patient requires longer hospital care and more invasive treatment. All this extra medical care can be avoided with a robust medication administration procedure.
Peace of mind – Some patients have trouble remembering when to take medication, especially older patients. When patients and their families know that safe medication handling is practised, they can have peace of mind. Some patients have a complex regimen of different medications which make it almost impossible for them to regulate. To avoid missed or incorrect doses, healthcare providers must follow the administration protocols.
