Legal Aspects of Medical Errors

Various factors in the health care system are reported to be contributors to medication errors. This work reviews a case study discussed in 'Hospital Pharmacy' (Smetzer and Cohen, 1998) which provides a clear example of the complex nature of the health care system and the process of medication use and how this interrelates to medication safety and quality. The nurse made the decision to administer the medication by IV. The syringe was labeled IM use only. The administration of the medication by IV would prove to be lethal since the drug is insoluble and obstructs blood flow the lungs needed for transferring oxygen to the individual's airways. The baby after it had died was found to not be in need of the treatment after all.

There were 50 latent and active failures that had occurred during the medication-use process and the majority of these failures...
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