Increase in Fatal Medication Errors Each July Linked to Inexperienced Doctors
ATLANTA, GA, June 18, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A University of California, San Diego sociology professor and one of his students recently released a study evaluating the unusually high incidence of medication errors during the month of July. They found that this increase in medication errors was predominantly associated with doctor inexperience, particularly among medical residents. Laurie Robbins, a medical malpractice attorney in Atlanta, Georgia, with Robbins & Associates, P.C., feels that it is time new medical residents are held to stricter standards while they learn their craft.
"This study clearly demonstrates that inexperienced doctors are especially prone to errors regarding the use and dispensation of medications with their patients," says Ms. Robbins. "The medical profession has an obligation to provide all patients with safe, effective treatment that meets the standards put forth by the field. It is inexcusable for new doctors to be trusted with such an important responsibility without better training and supervision."
The University of California, San Diego study analyzed 244,388 death certificates issued between 1979 and 2006 listing medication errors as a cause of death. The data indicated that the rates of death caused by medication errors increased by 10% in the month of July. These errors include:
- Accidental overdose
- Incorrect drug prescribed or taken by mistake
- Incorrect use of drugs during medical or surgical procedures
Furthermore, this increase was only found in areas containing teaching hospitals, and medication errors were the only medical mistakes associated with such a significant increase in fatalities.
Each July, thousands of new medical students begin residencies at teaching hospitals across the country. Therefore, this strong correlation provides compelling evidence that inexperienced medical residents may require stricter supervision and better education regarding medication safety in order to reduce the risk of fatal medication errors.
"This study clearly demonstrates that inexperienced doctors are especially prone to errors regarding the use and dispensation of medications with their patients," says Ms. Robbins. "The medical profession has an obligation to provide all patients with safe, effective treatment that meets the standards put forth by the field. It is inexcusable for new doctors to be trusted with such an important responsibility without better training and supervision."
The University of California, San Diego study analyzed 244,388 death certificates issued between 1979 and 2006 listing medication errors as a cause of death. The data indicated that the rates of death caused by medication errors increased by 10% in the month of July. These errors include:
- Accidental overdose
- Incorrect drug prescribed or taken by mistake
- Incorrect use of drugs during medical or surgical procedures
Furthermore, this increase was only found in areas containing teaching hospitals, and medication errors were the only medical mistakes associated with such a significant increase in fatalities.
Each July, thousands of new medical students begin residencies at teaching hospitals across the country. Therefore, this strong correlation provides compelling evidence that inexperienced medical residents may require stricter supervision and better education regarding medication safety in order to reduce the risk of fatal medication errors.
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