5 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9
M
edication errors are all too frequent in the OR. A
recent observational study identified an error in 5.3%
of all anesthesia medication administrations —
roughly 1 of every 20 — with about 80% of those
errors deemed preventable. Why do so many med-
ication errors still happen? Perhaps because, unlike all other locations
in the hospital, the anesthesia provider is typically the only practition-
er involved in determining what medication is needed, and then dis-
pensing and administering that medication.
• LESSONS LEARNED Take a non-punitive approach to improving medication safety, because human error is the root cause of
most administration errors.
Joyce Wahr, MD | Minneapolis, Minn.
Strategies for Better Medication Management
Developing a comprehensive protocol for OR medication administration can
fill holes that lead to errors — and uncover ones you knew nothing about.
