Key Term
Addiction
additional compulsive and uncontrollable use of a drug substance for reasons other than prescribed.
Adverse Drug Error
Occurs when the prescribed drug initiates an allergy or an adverse drug interaction that was missed.
ADR (Adverse Drug Reaction)
A negative consequence to a patient from taking a particular drug due to the nature of the drug itself (for certain vulnerable populations).
Alert fatigue
Where the technician and/or pharmacist starts to have a relaxed attitude and bypasses drug utilization warnings.
Capture error
Occurs when focus on a task is diverted elsewhere and 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
When a technician or pharmacist is interrupted mid-process and forgets key information or misses a safety decision.
Documentation error
When essential information (allergy, patient request, prescription details) is not properly processed in the medication profile or billing.
Drug seeker
A patient dependent on or addicted to drugs who may receive prescriptions from multiple physicians and pharmacies.
Drug tolerance
When the body adapts to a drug so 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 prescribed.
Fear error
Occurs when a technician fears speaking up and does not double-check a pharmacist or prescriber.
Human failure
An error generated by failure of actions at an individual level.
Incomplete information
Occurs when full information is not available because sufficient questioning was not done, answers were incorrect, or information was withheld.
Incorrect assumption error
Occurs when essential information cannot be verified and an assumption is made instead of using Safe Medication Practices (ISMP).
iPledge program
A specific risk assessment program for isotretinoin to prevent birth defects if pregnancy is not prevented.
MedGuide
FDA-printed information that communicates side effects, adverse reactions, and black-box warnings for high-risk drugs.
Medication education error
When proper medication education materials and counseling are not passed on to the patient or administrator.
Medication error
Any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is under healthcare professional, patient, or consumer control.
Medication noncompliance
Failure to take medication therapy as the physician instructs; also called nonadherence.
MEDMARX
An internet-based program of the USP for hospitals and healthcare systems for documenting, tracking, and identifying trends in adverse events and medication errors.
MedWatch
A voluntary FDA program allowing healthcare professionals or consumers to report adverse events associated with drug, biologic, or dietary supplement use.
Mislabeling error
When medication has incorrect label information or is given to the wrong patient.
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 to improve quality and offer counseling.