Comments on: Dennis Quaid Recounts Twins' Drug Ordeal
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- As the attorneys for the Quaids in their lawsuit again Baxter Healthcare Corporation, we commend the Quaids for their continuing efforts in speaking out about pharmaceutical safety, defective products, medication errors, and other issues impacting patient safety. At Susan E. Loggans & Associates we believe that every person has a right to recovery if he or she has been wronged.
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- Everyday I go to work I am charged with the responsibility of caring for my patients but ensuring no harm comes to them. I am the gate keeper for every physician and departement I am their closest advocate. There is a Nursing shortage that will reach pandemic levels my 2020. One million Nurses will be needed and probably 999,999 of them will be at the bedside. The job is difficult at best and there are hundreds of processes that don''t improve outcomes. Place Nurses behind the maphia screen and let them tell you how many policies and procedures are written to comply with JCAHO but don''t improve outcomes. Then you will have a story. Checklists and charting mandates steal time from patients. How ironic despite the ever increasing Patient Safety Standards; medication errors remain on the rise. Insanity defined, keep doing more of the same thing while expecting different results.Why was an adult dose of heparin even on a pediatric floor? Pharmacy surely had a hand in distributing the wrong medication. But as we all know the Nurse holds the bag every time and the weight of that bag is killing the profession.
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- It is distressing to see how widespread an issue this has become. In fact a 2002, study commissioned by the American Medical Association found that almost 1 in 5 medications administered in the 36 typical hospitals reviewed were in error*.
Your viewers should know there is a way to solve and prevent medication errors through technology called barcode point-of-care (BPOC) medication safety solutions. These are wireless, hand-held devices which scan barcodes on medications and patient wristbands at bedside to make sure medications are given accurately. The devices can even check for allergy and drug interactions as well as documenting important information about whether pain medications are working.
Mr. Quaid was correct -- let%u2019s not wait for another fatal medication error to occur %u2013 consumers should be asking their hospitals before checking in if they have bar-code point-of-care medication safety technology as part of the criteria in determining which facility to get care from %u2013 just like picking your primary care physician %u2013 you need to investigate whether your hospital uses handheld, bar-code technology.
IntelliDOT Corporation
San Diego, California
*Medication Errors Observed in 36 Health Care Facilities by Kenneth N. Barker, PhD; Elizabeth A. Flynn, PhD; Gientte A. Pepper, PhD; David W. Bates, MD, MSc; Robert L. Mikeal, PhD. - Reply to this comment
- Where humans are involved, there will be mistakes. Yes, even to the Quaids. There are ways to limit this. What is suing the drug company going to do? As Mr. Quaid mentioned, medical mistakes are a significant issue. If he truly cared about the issue, he would get educated about it and maybe bring attention to it. The similar labels are such a tiny portion of the swiss cheeze that has to have all holes lined up in order for a mistake to fall through. Although they have the highest payout. Systems in medicine and error prevention is a whole science in and of itself, but not quite as glamorous as suing a major pharmaceutical company.
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- I was dissapointed that Mr. Kroft did not point out the that the two products involved in the medication mix-up had two different names. The pediatric product is called HEP-LOK whereas the adult product is called Heparin Sodium. These names were approved by FDA. Today FDA is doing everything in their power to prevent medication errors. The bottom line is there is no substitute for a Health Care professional who knows which is the adult and which is the pediatric drug product. I was also dissapointed that Mr. and Mrs. Quaid did not explain why they did not sue Cedar Saini but choose Baxter instead. It was clearly stated in the segment that Cedar Saini made the mistake.
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- I was dissapointed that Mr. Kroft did not point out the that the two products involved in the medication mix-up had two different names. The pediatric product is called HEP-LOK whereas the adult product is called Heparin Sodium. These names were approved by FDA. Today FDA is doing everything in their power to prevent medication errors. The bottom line is there is no substitute for a Health Care professional who knows which is the adult and which is the pediatric drug product. I was also dissapointed that Mr. and Mrs. Quaid did not explain why they did not sue Cedar Saini but choose Baxter instead. It was clearly stated in the segment that Cedar Saini made the mistake.
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- I was dissapointed that Mr. Kroft did not point out the that the two products involved in the medication mix-up had two different names. The pediatric product is called HEP-LOK whereas the adult product is called Heparin Sodium. These names were approved by FDA. Today FDA is doing everything in their power to prevent medication errors. The bottom line is there is no substitute for a Health Care professional who knows which is the adult and which is the pediatric drug product. I was also dissapointed that Mr. and Mrs. Quaid did not explain why they did not sue Cedar Saini but choose Baxter instead. It was clearly stated in the segment that Cedar Saini made the mistake.
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- I was dissapointed that Mr. Kroft did not point out the that the two products involved in the medication mix-up had two different names. The pediatric product is called HEP-LOK whereas the adult product is called Heparin Sodium. These names were approved by FDA. Today FDA is doing everything in their power to prevent medication errors. The bottom line is there is no substitute for a Health Care professional who knows which is the adult and which is the pediatric drug product. I was also dissapointed that Mr. and Mrs. Quaid did not explain why they did not sue Cedar Saini but choose Baxter instead. It was clearly stated in the segment that Cedar Saini made the mistake.
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- My heart goes out to the Quaids for their ordeal and nearly losing their precious babies, but it''s ridiculous to sue a drug company for a human error made at the hospital. The nurse should have double-checked the label. If she gave those babies 1,000 times the dose of Baby Tylenol, should the Quaids then sue McNeil? Baxter has deep pockets so that''s where the attack has been aimed.
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- This hospital is listed on the internet as being accredited by JCAHO. They could be contacted with any problems of this nature. They can be contacted by patients, patient guardians/parents, or even employees. They come in and do a complete review of the problem and require the hospital to respond. Most people do not know that they exist unless they have actually worked in a hospital setting. Here is their website: http://www.jointcommission.org The phone number for complaints is 800-994-6610. Please look at the JCAHO website and then go to http://www.csmc.edu/ and put in JCAHO in the search block in the upper right corner of the page. It will come up with some of the items that are looked at. It sounds like it is time for another review. JCAHO can be called at anytime.
I also believe that the medicine should have been recalled in addition to the nurses and rest of the staff being more careful.
I have worked in the quality and risk management arena of hospitals and have also been on the receiving end of having major surgeries six times in my life. Just prior to the last one, I asked them about the drugs they were getting ready to use during my surgery - I was deathly allergic to one that is commonly used for irrigation - she thanked me for asking as that drug was in the mix. That would have been an error on their part as it was written all over my records! I would not have hesitated to call JCAHO. Life is too short as it is. - Reply to this comment
