It has been more than 2 years since the Institute of Medicine published its electrifying report identifying medical errors as a major cause of mortality in American hospitals. The institute found that an estimated 40,000 patients die each year due to medical errors, while 7000 die due to medication errors.

This video, a hard-hitting exploration by authorities in the field of patient safety, looks at how things have improved since the release of that report, and focuses especially on the hospital pharmacist's role in reducing medication errors.

The experts take a systems approach to problem solving, focusing on proven techniques for the reduction of prescribing, distribution, and administration errors. Automation is examined as a vital tool for improving hospital safety, although its limitations are clearly delineated.

Amoung the advanced technolgies examined are Computerized Physician Order Entry systems (CPOE), centralized robotic distribution systems, and bar-code scanners. The program concludes by offering pharmacists a useful list of resources to update their knowledge regarding the reduction of medication errors.

The program features interviews with 6 medication error prevention thought leaders:

Rainu Kaushal, MD, MPH, Staff Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital; Gary A. Merica, RPh, Medication Safety Coordinator, York Hospital; Kasey Thompson, PharmD, Director, Center on Patient Safety, ASHP; Philip Schneider, MS, FASHP, Director, Latiolais Leadership Program, Ohio State University; Mary Burkhardt, MS, RPh, FASHP, Program Manager, VA National Center for Patient Safety; David Bates, MD, Chief, Division of General Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital.

Total Running Time: 20 minutes . Expiration Date: 5/1/04