Discussion will review the prevalence of medication errors in senior care at transitions of care, adverse events related to medication errors and root causes of medication-related events.

It also will deliver deliberate approaches to medication safety, from receiving orders and order entry to the five common pitfalls of medication administration errors. Safety topics will include high-risk medications; look-alike, sound-alike name confusion; unsafe abbreviations; the most common drug-interactions; and how to appropriately document and report medication errors.

Learning objectives

• Identify the high-risk medications that may cause greater harm to a senior when dispensed or administered incorrectly.
• Recognize medication error pitfalls in nursing home medication order and electronic medication administration record (e-MAR) applications.
• Explain the prevalence of medication errors during the transitions of care discovered during medication reconciliation.