title: Medication safety.
abstract: Patient safety is a state of mind, not a technology. The technologies used in the medical setting represent tools that must be properly designed, used well, and assessed on an on-going basis. Moreover, in all settings, building a culture of safety is pivotal for improving safety, and many nontechnologic approaches, such as medication reconciliation and teaching patients about their medications, are also essential. This article addresses the topic of medication safety and examines specific strategies being used to decrease the incidence of medication errors across various clinical settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02120-1613, USA. ckeohane@partners.org
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Keohane
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Bates
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009774:Obstetrics; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*