Simple strategies to avoid medication errors.

In any given week, four out of five U.S. adults will use prescription medicines, over-the-counter drugs, or dietary and herbal supplements. Nearly one-third of adults take five or more different medications. Given the volume of medications being taken, medication-related injuries may seem inevitable; however, injuries due to errors in medication prescribing, dispensing and administration are preventable. It is difficult to estimate how often preventable adverse drug events occur. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report Preventing Medication Errors estimated that 1.5 million preventable adverse drug events occur each year in the United States. Another study estimated that 530,000 preventable adverse drug events occur each year among outpatient Medicare beneficiaries. The annual cost of treating preventable adverse drug events in Medicare enrollees aged 65 and older is estimated at $887 million.