HYDERABAD:  People suffering from serious diseases have no choice but to get admitted to hospitals, but what if they are only worse off there? A study conducted in Hyderabad reveals that medication-related errors (MRE) caused by healthcare workers and doctors are rampant in hospitals across the State. 

The research team led by Divya Amaravadi of the pharmacy department at Anurag Group of Institutions, studied 200 cases at the inpatient wards of general surgery, general medicine, gastroenterology, paediatrics and nephrology departments at a government tertiary hospital in Hyderabad and found that MREs are more common than we like to believe and is one of the leading causes for the deteriorating health of patients staying for prolonged periods in hospitals. It can even cause loss of life.

Of all the cases that were scrutinised medication-related errors were noticed in 30 per cent of the cases. 
It was observed that of the cases in which MREs occurred, 22 were of level-4 — resulting in need for treatment of patient with another drug or requirement of further stay in hospital. 

Eighteen per cent came under level-3, resulting in need for increased patient monitoring or laboratory monitoring causing change in vital signs of the patient, but no ultimate harm. The rest (60 per cent) was equally divided between level-1 — not resulting in any harm to the patient — or level 2 — increased patient monitoring, but not causing any harm.Some of the most common types of MREs observed were untreated conditions, administration of wrong dosage of medicines, failure in administering medication, errors in prescription and drugs without indication. 

Global efforts to stop medical errors
The World Health Organization has launched a global effort to cut down medication-related errors by 50 percent in all countries in the next five years. Its member countries have been asked to frame measures to tackle the problem.