$500k to avoid medication errors

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The first stage of a programme to reduce medication errors is getting $500,000 funding, Health Minister Tony Ryall says.

The money would go to the pilot in Taranaki.

"Many errors would be avoided by making it clear what medication a patient is on, and then making that information available electronically to all health professionals helping the patient," Mr Ryall said.

"By enforcing a number of formal, standard steps into the medicine management process, there is less chance of a patient being mistakenly given a medicine he or she is allergic to, that will interact with a medicine they are already taking, or that they are already taking."

The Health Quality and Safety Commission and the National Health IT Board initiative would next year see a standard medications system rolled out nationwide covering hospitals, general practices, pharmacies, residential aged care facilities and the wider health and disability sector. Other parts of the pilot were being done in Counties Manukau, Waitemata and Otago DHBs.

"Similar systems in the United States have shown a reduction in adverse drug events of at least 65 per cent. This would translate into more than 8000 fewer cases of in-hospital adverse drug events in New Zealand each year."

The Health Ministry estimated such problems added an average 7.5 days to a patient's hospital stay.

"At around $1000 a day in hospital, and a conservative 8000 patients a year, we are looking at estimated savings of more than $60 million a year for district health boards.

"This is a significant potential saving for the health service, and will see patients return home sooner, freeing up hospital resources for more patients."

- NZPA