Pediatric medication safety: the power of the team.
Children are at risk from adverse medication events. National attention has been focused on medication errors resulting from medication formulation issues to medication administration issues. There is a compelling need to improve strategies that will result in reduced risk as well as reduced harm to children from medication mishaps. Opportunity exists to enhance the efforts of national medication safety groups by identifying teams at every level of care that might best apply research findings to pediatric medication safety processes. This review describes the evidence basis of pediatric medication safety strategies and the national teams that substantially influence the application of these strategies at facility, unit, and community levels, and it asserts that medication safety strategies matter most at the level of the child.
Cahill
Maureen
M
Banner Children's Hospital, Banner Desert Medical Center, 1400 South Dobson Road, Mesa, AZ 85202, USA. maureen.cahill@bannerhealth.com
D002648:Child; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000451:nursing*; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000379:methods; D009746:Nursing, Team; D010371:Pediatric Nursing; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior