Behavioral Health Services, Inc.
Subject: Detoxification – Chemical Dependency Recovery Hospitals Policy#: 4.5.14.13
Title: Medication Errors
Effective Date of This Revision: January 9, 2009
Contact: Medical Director
310-679-9126
Administration
Applies to:
Officers
Other agents
Staff
Visitors
Student clinicians
Contractors
Volunteers
Subcontractors / Business Associates
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this document is to outline policy and procedures for reporting and documenting medication errors in the Detoxification Units of BHS’s Chemical Dependency Recovery Hospitals.
POLICY:
To report and document medication errors in a uniform manner, nursing staff shall complete a Medication Error Report (form 01-023) for each occurrence.
PROCEDURES:
A medication error shall be defined as the occurrence of any of the following:
Administration of the wrong dosage
Administration of the drug via the wrong route
Administration of the drug at the wrong time(s)
Administration of an unordered drug
A dose which is ordered but not administered
A dose which was administered to the wrong person
The physician shall be notified as soon as it is practical after the discovery of the error. Physician assessment of the patient shall be included on the Medication Error Report.
A Medication Error Report shall be prepared by the person responsible for the error. If this
person is not immediately available, the person discovering the error shall prepare the report.
The completed form shall be submitted to the Director of Nursing. The person responsible for the error shall review the report at a later time and sign as a witness.
The Director of Nursing will present the Medication Error Reports at the Pharmacy and
Therapeutics Committee. The Committee will discuss the Medication Error Reports to identify and recommend corrective actions. The Director of Nursing or the designated RN will provide additional training or take corrective action as necessary.
