medication errors; prevention tools; standardised procedures

Introduction: The medication process is considered the most risky process in a healthcare institution. This is because the traditional process, which has remained unchanged for many years, gives much room for a number of high-stimulation errors.Aim: The aim of this article is to present a project implemented at the University Hospital Ostrava (UHO), which aims to eliminate adverse events in the administration of medication by computerization of medication.Material and methods: The project has several successive phases: 1) Description of the current status of medication administration in UHO: retrospective analysis of internal audit data; retrospective analysis of data reported by adverse events and current set-up of medication administration in the care delivery process. 2) Analysis of the possibility of introducing the process of computerisation of the medication application: software options (hospital information system). 3) Time snapshot analysis of medication administration by non-medical health care workers in a classical manner: observation. 4) Application of the pilot project – selected standard departments. 5) Analysis of the pilot project after the introduction of computerisation: retrospective analysis of internal audit data; retrospective analysis of data reported by adverse events and observation – timeline of medication administration with an electronic system in place.Results: Currently, the project is in phase 3-4, when negotiations are underway on the possibilities of establishing the hospital information system and audit investigations in the form of observations of medication applications by nurses in two selected wards (one representative of surgical and one representative of internal medicine).Conclusions: Medication errors can have a fatal impact on the patient, so it is advisable to implement standardised tools or methods to eliminate or prevent these adverse events.

Introduction: The medication process is considered the most risky process in a healthcare institution. This is because the traditional process, which has remained unchanged for many years, gives much room for a number of high-stimulation errors.Aim: The aim of this article is to present a project implemented at the University Hospital Ostrava (UHO), which aims to eliminate adverse events in the administration of medication by computerization of medication.Material and methods: The project has several successive phases: 1) Description of the current status of medication administration in UHO: retrospective analysis of internal audit data; retrospective analysis of data reported by adverse events and current set-up of medication administration in the care delivery process. 2) Analysis of the possibility of introducing the process of computerisation of the medication application: software options (hospital information system). 3) Time snapshot analysis of medication administration by non-medical health care workers in a classical manner: observation. 4) Application of the pilot project – selected standard departments. 5) Analysis of the pilot project after the introduction of computerisation: retrospective analysis of internal audit data; retrospective analysis of data reported by adverse events and observation – timeline of medication administration with an electronic system in place.Results: Currently, the project is in phase 3-4, when negotiations are underway on the possibilities of establishing the hospital information system and audit investigations in the form of observations of medication applications by nurses in two selected wards (one representative of surgical and one representative of internal medicine).Conclusions: Medication errors can have a fatal impact on the patient, so it is advisable to implement standardised tools or methods to eliminate or prevent these adverse events.