National Patient Safety Goal #8 (NPSG8) to “accurately and completely reconcile medications across the continuum of care.” JCAHO Issue 35, January 25, 2006 discusses the major causes of errors, risk management strategies, requirements and recommendations for 2006.

JCAHO flowchart depicting recommended process steps for medication reconciliation.

JCAHO’s official list of abbreviations that should not be used on medication documentation and order forms.

The Institute for Safe Medication Pracitices’ list of most confused drug pairs based on look-alike and sound-alike name pairs involved in medication errors reported to ISMP through the USP-ISMP Medication Errors Reporting Program (MERP).

The Institute for Safe Medication Pracitices’ list of drugs that bear a heightened risk of causing significant patient harm when they are used in error and should have special safeguards such as limited access, auxiliary labels and/or automated alerts.

Fifty hospitals collaborated to develop a 3-step safe process to prevent medication errors at transition points.

The Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors was established to improve patient safety and minimize medical errors.

The IHI seeks to improve the lives of patients, the health of communities, and the joy of the health care workforce, and to accelerate the measurable and continual progress of health care systems throughout the world toward safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equity.

The AHRQ is charged with improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. As one of 12 agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, AHRQ supports health services research that will improve the quality of health care and promote evidence-based decision making.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing reports that “The United States is in the midst of a nursing shortage that is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for health care grows…. More than one million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2012.”

In-hospital pharmacists are going beyond the counter to help hospitalized patients. “Getting hospital-based pharmacists out from “behind the counter” to work directly with inpatients and health care teams reduces medication errors and problems...