Medication Safety An Essential Guide

The supply and administration of medicines is an area of practice in which a number of healthcare professionals (e.g. nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals) are involved. Prescribing is a relatively new role which many of these healthcare professionals have adopted. Medication Safety focuses on promoting safety in the delivery of medicines. Chapters explore the various stages in the medication process including safety in prescribing, dispensing and administering drugs. Adverse reactions, parenteral administration, dosage calculations, safety with controlled drugs, and reporting errors and near misses are all addressed in evidence-based contributions from a highly experienced team of contributors. This text is essential reading for all healthcare professionals involved in the delivery of medicines to patients.

Preface; 1. Introduction to medication errors and medication safety Molly Courtenay and Matt Griffiths; 2. Safety in prescribing Anne Twidell and Simon de Lusignan; 3. Safety in dispensing Imogen Savage; 4. Safety in administering Jane Watson and Liz Plastow; 5. Adverse drug reactions and drug interactions Tim House; 6. Interface of care and communication Alison Blenkinsopp, Gill Dorer, Martin Duerden and Rebecca Jester; 7. Parenteral drug administration Jasmeet Soar and Jon Standing; 8. Calculations Alison G. Eggleton; 9. Controlled drugs and patient safety Roger Knaggs; 10. Reporting medication incidents and near misses Sheena Williams; 11. Ensuring safety through evidence based medicine Sharon Smart; Index.

The supply and administration of medicines is an area of practice in which a number of healthcare professionals are involved. Prescribing is a relatively new role that many of these healthcare professionals have adopted. This book focuses on promoting safety in medicines delivery, emphasising care in prescribing, dispensing and administering drugs.

Molly Courtenay is a Professor at the School of Health and Social Care, Reading University, UK.
Matt Griffiths is Senior Nurse, Medicines Management, University Hospitals of Leicester and Visiting Professor of Prescribing and Medicines Management, School of Health, University of Northampton, UK.