Using Healthcare Failure Mode and Effect Analysis to reduce medication errors in the process of drug prescription, validation and dispensing in hospitalised patients

Abstract

HFMEA facilitated the identification of actions aimed at reducing medication errors in a healthcare setting, as the implementation of several of these led to a reduction in errors in the process of drug prescription, validation and dispensing.

Prospective systemic risk analysis of the dispensing process in German community pharmacies

“…However, since then, FMEA has come a long way toward serving other purposes, such as a proactive risk reduction in various healthcare processes, including dispensing of medicines, where it has proved to be highly effective . Yet, within the context of pharmacy practice, this type of analyses has mostly been conducted in the hospital setting . We recently performed the first study by using FMEA in a community pharmacy setting in Serbia …”

“…14 Yet, within the context of pharmacy practice, this type of analyses has mostly been conducted in the hospital setting. [15][16][17] We recently performed the first study by using FMEA in a community pharmacy setting in Serbia. 18 In Germany, the issue of safe medicine dispensing has been acknowledged as an important topic in recent years.…”

A comparison of two prospective risk analysis methods: Traditional FMEA and a modified healthcare FMEA

“…First, the categories for frequency of occurrence are changed into easily defined categories in order to prevent team members from placing their own interpretation on the categories. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] For instance, categories such as "less than once a year," "yearly," "monthly," "quarterly," and "weekly" are used instead of HFMEA™ categories such as "remote," "uncommon," "occasional," and "frequent." Second, the numbers in the HFMEA Hazard Scoring Matrix™ are replaced by arbitrary risk scale such as very low, low, high, and very high with accompanying red or green box, while the HFMEA™ originally used a numerical classification with more discrete levels that allows for more subtle differentiation between risks.…”

“…11,12 HFMEA™ has been successfully applied to several healthcare processes, such as drug ordering and administration and sterilization and use of surgical instruments. 13,14 However, the main constraints often reported when conducting an HFMEA are the significant time commitment and resources needed. [15][16][17][18] The risk analysis has been streamlined further into a faster version of HFMEA™, called scenario analysis of failure modes effects and risks (SAFER), which is promoted in the Netherlands.…”

Análisis modal de fallos y efectos en las prescripciones farmacológicas informatizadas

“…La metodología Análisis Modal de Fallos y Efectos (AMFE) se utiliza para la identificación y valoración de riesgos relacionados con la atención sanitaria como herramienta para mejorar la seguridad del paciente 7,13,14 . Con dicha metodología se pueden definir los tipos de fallos, sus posibles causas, efectos y métodos de detección, valorando los riesgos en función de la gravedad del error, su ocurrencia y su nivel de detectabilidad.…”