How can a hospital effectively reduce the risk of medication errors?

Implementing electronic health records (EHRs) and standardized order sets significantly enhances the safety and accuracy of medication prescribing and administration. EHRs streamline the documentation process, allow for easy access to patients' medical histories, and facilitate clear communication among healthcare providers. Standardized order sets, which are pre-defined templates for prescribing common medication regimens, reduce variability and confusion that can lead to errors. By providing healthcare professionals with accessible and cohesive information, these technologies promote adherence to best practices and help ensure that medications are prescribed accurately and efficiently.

Other strategies such as improving the staff-to-patient ratio or increasing the number of pharmacy technicians may contribute to better care and support but do not directly address the systemic problems related to medication errors as effectively as the use of EHRs and standardized order sets. Reducing the use of technology in prescribing would likely lead to an increased risk of errors due to a lack of safeguards that technology provides, such as alerts for drug interactions and prescription errors.