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Medical Assistants and Medication Errors

We want to remind all practicing medical assistants that medication errors refer to errors in the processes of ordering, transcribing, dispensing, administering, or monitoring medications, irrespective of the outcome (i.e., injury to the patient).

One example is an order written for amoxicillin without a route of administration. Other medication errors have a greater potential for patient harm and so are often designated as "serious medication errors" or "potential ADEs"—e.g., an order for amoxicillin in a patient with past anaphylaxis to penicillin.

I have set up a website for medical assistants needing to review medications, prescriptions, Roman numerals, abbreviations and calculations that typically take place in a medical office:

MA Pharm.com -- Pharmacology Review for Medical Assistants
http://www.mapharm.com/safety_guides.htm

We also want to remind medical assistants who call in prescription orders to a pharmacy, or approve prescription refills for a patient to do this ONLY upon approval from the doctor. Only call in orders that are logged in the patient's medical chart. Any prescriptions or refill orders completed and called in to the pharmacy should then also be annotated, dated and initialed by the medical assistant who made the call (you!).

Your Professional Title/Credentials: Website Owner/Forum Admin

Re: Medical Assistants and Medication Errors

Hi Danni R,

Thank you! I am going to need all the help I can get. Take care. :)

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CNA

Are You Still In School? Yes

Are You Working? No

Re: Medical Assistants and Medication Errors

When in doubt ask. I've never been yelled at for clarifying an Rx.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CMA (AAMA)

Are You Still In School? nope

Are You Working? yep

Re: Medical Assistants and Medication Errors

The office I work in runs a little different then most, I work for several different physicians at a time. We use paper charts as opposed to electronic because of the type of care we give. There is one physician in particular who's writing is illegable, whenever he writes out a Rx no matter what it is or whether I think I know what it is, ive always made sure i double check with him. It's gotten to the point where if he writes an Rx, when he hands me the chart he recites the Rx because he knows im going to ask what it is, the dosage the amount to dispense and how often the patient should take it. I appreciate him doing this for me as much as he appreciates my double checking for pt safety.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: CMA (AAMA)

Are You Still In School? No

Are You Working? Yes