Maine Hospital Association,

Medication Safety Resource Center
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Medication Safety Resource Center	Links to Medication Safety Groups, Organizations and Other Resources
MHA has started a comprehensive effort that aims to reduce medication errors in Maine. A committee of physicians, nurses and pharmacists from hospitals around Maine has been working since the summer of 1999 on the MHA Medication Error Reduction Initiative. While Maine hospitals have long sought to reduce medical errors, the Initiative provides a comprehensive, statewide approach to the issue. In the Initiative's first phase, MHA will provide hospitals with standardized information about process issues that contribute to medication errors. The Association is currently gathering information about the practices in place in hospitals throughout Maine. Based on survey results, a best practices advisory will be developed and sent to MHA members. Also, the Initiative will provide hospitals with already existing resources designed to reduce medication errors. The Committee will also help develop best practice advisories and sponsor relevant education. In the final phase of the effort, hospitals will take part in specific error reduction projects. Follow the links below to get more information about reducing medication errors.	American Society of Health-System Pharmacists American Society for Healthcare Risk Management Institute for Healthcare Improvement. ( This site offers the ISMP Medication Safety Alert! and Urgent Error Advisories.) Institute of Medicine Institute of Safe Medication Practices Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Med Errors.com (Bridge Medical) National Coordinating Council on Medication Error Reporting and Prevention National Patient Safety Foundation U.S. Pharmacopia. ( This site provides Dangerous Abbreviations, Practitioner Reporting Alerts, Drug Quality Alerts, and Look-alike, Sound-alike Name Lists.) These links are provided as a convenience for users and are outside of the control of MHA; No endorsement is implied.
Books	Patient Information Brochures
Cohen, Michael R., Ed. Medication Errors. Washington, D.C. American Pharmaceutical Association. 1999. Contains a special chapter on high-alert medications and dangerous abbreviations; rich with insight and practical advice on reducing the risk of error. Corrigan, Janet, et al. To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Washington, D.C. National Academies Press. 1999. Comprehensive overview of medical error issue, containing many practical suggestions and recommendations from several solid sources. Leape, Lucian, et al. Reducing Adverse Drug Events. Boston, MA: Institute for Healthcare Improvement. 1998. Offers concepts to reduce adverse events and a model for improvement.	MHA Medication Safety Brochure How to Take Your Medications Safely from the Institute of Safe Medication Practices. The U.S. Pharmacopia provides a wide range of patient infomration in its "Just Ask!" section (look under "Drug Infomration" on homepage's table of contents).

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