A medication error refers to a hazardous incident that has the potential to result in incorrect use of medications or injury to the patient. The occurrence of pharmaceutical errors can manifest at several stages of the medicine process, encompassing prescription, dispensing, and administration. Medication errors provide a significant concern within the healthcare domain because of their potential to result in adverse patient outcomes, including fatality. Medication differences may potentially result in patient damage as a consequence of incorrect dosage administration (Rodziewicz et al., 2023). This assessment focuses on MHA FPX4000 Assessment 4 Analyze a Current Health Care Problem or Issue, This assessment aims to examine the challenges related to pharmaceutical errors that occur during the administration of intricate prescription regimens to patients.

Elements of the Problem/Issue

Medication errors within healthcare settings encompass various crucial components. Initially, it is important to consider the issue of prescription practices, wherein healthcare professionals may exhibit inaccuracies or insufficiencies in prescribing medication, such as prescribing excessive quantities or selecting inappropriate drugs (Nagappa & Kanoujia, 2022). Additionally, during the dispensing phase, pharmacists or nurses administer medication, and errors might arise as a result of misinterpreting prescriptions or improperly handling pharmaceuticals. The administration stage is an essential stage where healthcare workers may potentially commit mistakes. These errors may arise due to factors such as confusion, external distractions, or ineffective communication. In addition, inaccuracies in documenting patient prescription information or neglecting to update records might result in inconsistencies and potential adverse effects. Finally, it is imperative to take into account patient-specific variables, like allergies or pre-existing medical disorders, while administering medication in order to mitigate the risk of unpleasant responses (Nagappa & Kanoujia, 2022).

Medication errors provide a substantial concern within the healthcare domain due to their potential to result in adverse outcomes, heightened healthcare expenditures, and patient detriment. These errors have the potential to lead to patients failing to receive the desired treatment, encountering adverse reactions or allergic responses, or even facing complications related to medication. Medication errors are a contributing factor to the rising demand for hospital resources, as they frequently require supplementary medical treatment, hospitalizations, or prolonged patient care (Feyissa et al., 2020).

The importance of addressing medication errors like MHA FPX4000 Assessment 4 Analyze a Current Health Care Problem or Issue, cannot be overstated in the context of enhancing the quality of healthcare, improving patient outcomes, and mitigating healthcare expenses. Each year, there is an approximate range of 1.5 million to 2.5 million individuals in the United States who experience the consequences of drug errors (AMCP, 2019). According to estimates, the United States incurs an annual expenditure of $38 billion due to drug errors (AMCP, 2019). This encompasses expenses related to hospitalization, medical intervention, reduced work efficiency, and mortality.

Analysis

Although errors can occur at any stage of the pharmaceutical prescription process, available data indicates that a majority of preventable errors tend to occur during the prescription writing phase. Research conducted by Tariq et al. (2020) in the field has indicated that medication errors are frequently attributed to factors such as illegible handwriting, the use of unfamiliar acronyms, and misinterpretation. It is estimated that an annual average of 8,000 to 9,000 individuals in the United States experience mortality as a result of drug errors (Tariq et al., 2020).

Analyze a Current Health Care Problem or Issue

Approximately 35% of medication mistakes are attributed to this factor, according to Manias et al. (2020). Furthermore, it was found that 25% of pharmaceutical errors occurred subsequent to administration, while 18% took place within the pharmacy setting (Manias et al., 2020). 

Context for Medication Error

Medication errors were attributed to the practice of verbally recommending medicines and utilizing handwritten prescriptions for patients, which might lead to the incorrect dispensing of medications with similar names. Pharmacy technicians must maintain a constant state of vigilance in order to mitigate the potential occurrence of medication errors. Medication mistakes pose an additional risk, as they not only compromise patient safety but also undermin