Which of the following are common causes of medication incidents?

Select all that apply and click "Check Answers" to review your choices and see feedback.

• Mental lapses, fatigue or sleep deprivation
  Food for thought: This is a correct answer. Consider how human factors like fatigue can impair judgment and attention to detail, which are critical for safe medication administration.
• Awareness of the use of herbal medication
  Food for thought: Think about this from a safety perspective. Is being *aware* of something a cause of an incident, or is it a step to *prevent* one? How can herbal medications interact with prescribed drugs?
• Poor knowledge or identification of drugs
  Food for thought: This is a correct answer. Why is it essential to double-check medications, especially those that "look alike or sound alike" (LASA)?
• Multiple use of drugs
  Food for thought: This is a correct answer. The term for this is polypharmacy. How does the risk of adverse drug reactions or interactions change as the number of medications a patient takes increases?
• Documented allergies
  Food for thought: If an allergy is properly documented and checked, does it cause an incident, or does it help prevent one? What is the real point of failure if a patient has a reaction to a known allergen?
• Lack of access to OTC medications
  Food for thought: Consider the context of a healthcare professional administering medication. Does their lack of access to over-the-counter (OTC) drugs typically lead to an error, or is this more of a patient-side issue?
• Transcription and handwriting errors
  Food for thought: This is a correct answer. This is a classic communication failure. What systems or technologies are now used in healthcare to reduce this specific type of error?
• Dosage errors
  Food for thought: This is a correct answer. This is one of the most common types of medication errors. What steps are involved in the "rights of medication administration" to prevent dosage errors?