American College of Clinical Pharmacology Response to the Institute of Medicine Report “To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System”

The public press is laden with articles describing serious errors in medical care and treatment that are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. In fact, a recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies report estimates that as many as 98,000 people in the United States die each year from medical errors. This number is greater than the death toll from breast cancer, auto accidents, and AIDS. The total financial impact of these errors on the U.S. economy is estimated to be between $17 billion and $29 billion. This situation has prompted a heightened awareness and proposed actions by the federal government to control this epidemic of errors in medical care. The IOM report outlines four key areas of action: