title: Reducing medication errors.
abstract: Most nurses are involved in medicines management, which is integral to promoting patient safety. Medicines management is prone to errors, which depending on the error can cause patient injury, increased hospital stay and significant legal expenses. This article describes a new approach to help minimise drug errors within healthcare settings where medications are prescribed, dispensed or administered. The acronym DRAINS, which considers all aspects of medicines management before administration, was devised to reduce medication errors on a cardiothoracic intensive care unit.
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic intensive care, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nute
mesh_terms: D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D054796:Drug Dosage Calculations; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs
keywords: Drug errors; medication errors; medicines management; patient safety