Medication errors among pediatric cancer patients are more common when medicine is administered at home than at the hospital, according to a study in Pediatrics.
Researchers observed medication delivery and dosage and analyzed medical records for 118 patients at three pediatric oncology clinics during the study period (November 2007 to April 2011).
Results revealed that 47 percent of patients in the study experienced at least one medication error while at home, compared with 19 percent at the clinics. The rate of injury due to medication at home was found to be 3.6 per 100, comparable or higher than the 0.5 to 3.8 per 100 previous studies have found at hospitals and clinics.
Almost two-thirds of medication errors at home occurred when parents failed to change doses as instructed by an oncologist, or failed to communicate the change to other caregivers at home, according to the study.
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Researchers observed medication delivery and dosage and analyzed medical records for 118 patients at three pediatric oncology clinics during the study period (November 2007 to April 2011).
Results revealed that 47 percent of patients in the study experienced at least one medication error while at home, compared with 19 percent at the clinics. The rate of injury due to medication at home was found to be 3.6 per 100, comparable or higher than the 0.5 to 3.8 per 100 previous studies have found at hospitals and clinics.
Almost two-thirds of medication errors at home occurred when parents failed to change doses as instructed by an oncologist, or failed to communicate the change to other caregivers at home, according to the study.
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