Ch 14 Keyterms

Addiction

Compulsive and uncontrollable use of a drug substance for reasons other than prescribed.

Adverse drug error

Occurs when the prescriber drug initiates an allergy or an adverse drug interaction flag that was missed.

Adverse drug reaction (ADR)

A negative consequence to a patient from taking a particular drug, due to the nature of the drug itself or for certain vulnerable populations.

Alert fatigue

When the technician and/or the pharmacist starts to have a relaxed attitude and bypasses drug utilization warnings.

Capture error

An error that occurs when focus on a task is diverted elsewhere and, therefore, the error goes undetected.

Contaminated product error

When aseptic technique is not followed in compounding, and the drug is no longer sterile and causes a microorganism infection.

Distraction error

Occurs when a technician or pharmacist is interrupted in the middle of a filling process and forgets a portion of key information or train of thought.

Documentation error

When essential information is not properly noted in the medication profile, or not properly processing insurance or billing.

Drug seeker

A patient who is dependent on or addicted to drugs, and may receive prescriptions for the same or similar controlled drug from several physicians.

Drug tolerance

When the body adapts to a drug so that higher doses are needed to produce the same pharmacological effect.

Extra dose error

An error in which more doses are received by a patient than were prescribed by the physician.

Fear error

Occurs when a technician fears the consequences of speaking up and asking the pharmacist or prescriber to double-check a prescription.

Human failure

An error generated by failure that occurs at an individual level.

Incomplete information error

Occurs when full information is not available because the patient was not asked sufficient questions.

Incorrect assumption error

Occurs when an essential piece of information cannot be verified, and an assumption is made.

iPledge program

A specific risk assessment program for isotretinoin, which can cause a high incidence of birth defects if not properly monitored.

MedGuide

Printed information in which the FDA communicates side effects, adverse reactions, and black-box warnings for high-risk drugs.

Medication education error

When proper medication education materials and counsel are not passed on to the patient.

Medication error

Any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm.

Medication noncompliance

Failure to take medication therapy as the physician instructs; also called med adherence.

MEDMARX

An Internet-based program of the USP for documenting, tracking, and identifying trends for adverse events and medication errors.

MedWatch

A voluntary program by the FDA allowing reporting of a serious adverse event associated with drug use.

Mislabeling error

When a medication has incorrect information on it, leading to the wrong use or the wrong patient receiving it.

Omission error

An administration error in which a prescribed dose is not given.

Patient Safety Organization (PSO)

Groups designed to collect and analyze error data from more than one health provider for quality improvement.

Pharmacist Recovery Network (PRN)

An organization to provide assistance for impaired colleagues seeking help without the risk of losing their license.

Physical dependence

Taking a drug continuously so that when stopped, physical withdrawal symptoms occur.

Psychological dependence

Taking a drug regularly for a sense of well-being that an individual does not want to live without.

REACT

An acronym for what to do in the case of a robbery.

Right of refusal

The ability of a pharmacist to decline to fill any prescription for controlled substances with cause.

Risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS)

A program by the FDA for closer monitoring of selected high-risk drugs.

Root-cause analysis

A systematic process used to help identify what, how, and why something happened to prevent recurrence.

Rushed error

Occurs due to pressure of meeting time constraints, leading to insufficient checking of information.

Selection error

An error that occurs when two or more options exist, and the incorrect option is chosen.

SPEAK UP

An acronym for advice for patients to receive safe healthcare, promoted by the Joint Commission.

Tall man lettering

Enhanced lettering on labels of similar-sounding high-risk medications to reduce medication errors.

Technical failure

An error generated by the failure of equipment.

Wrong amount error

Occurs when a dose is either above or below the correct amount by more than 5%.

Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)

A postmarketing surveillance system that collects information on adverse events after immunization.

Vaccine Error Reporting Program (VERP)

A program allowing healthcare professionals to report vaccine errors directly to ISMP.