The Effects of Medical Errors and Labeling on Patients and Healthcare

The Effects of Medical Errors and Labeling on Patients and Healthcare Student Name Institutional Affiliation The Effects of Medication Errors & Labeling on Patients and Healthcare. Various studies have examined effects that errors in medications and labeling of containers has on the lives of patients and the entire healthcare sector. Presently, in the health care system, mistakes such as wrong use of dose, misdiagnosis and poor time interval in the medication process as well as false labeling of containers occur. As a result, various complications are experienced because of such errors thereby leading to an adverse reaction to patients. It is the high number of incidences of medication errors in Canadian health centers that led to the choice of discussing the topic. Discussion on the effects of medication errors is important to healthcare practitioners because in most instances, they are the ones held responsible when complications on labelling and errors in medication arise. In this essay, it is argued that errors in medication and labeling are core ethical issues in healthcare with far-reaching implications on patient service and provider’s integrity. According to Farrell et al. (2015), errors in the usage of drugs among older adults creates an abnormal reaction in the body system and could lead to the person falling sick or developing cognitive complications. If not addressed in time the person would be forced to stay in hospitals for an extended period, and in some cases, the person can die. Similarly, poor labeling of the containers in which drugs are placed could lead to wrong usage of medicines that would affecting the health of the user (Farrell et al., 2015). Medical errors occur as a result of incomplete information or poor execution and follow up on patients and their dose intake. Medication errors can be corrected at any time by ensuring that patients use medicines as prescribed by taking dosage at the right time and the required quantities and correctly labeling stored containers holding medication. In this regard, the topic on medication errors and labeling is important since it addresses a significant issue that has raised various ethical concerns in Canada. Presently, the health care of Canada is at a terrible spot following more challenges that arise as a result of medication errors and poor labeling of containers. The country needs healthy workers and leaders to work corporately and develop every sector of the economy. However, errors in the medication and labeling of vessels create more significant threats to the aim of achieving a prosperous economy. On the other side, more cost is incurred in treating complications that arise from the wrong usage of medicine. Families are spending large amounts of money in managing individuals who form difficulties as a result of a medical error. Instead, such money should be utilized for economic development. Similarly, the occurrence of an error in medication and labeling creates a bad reputation on the career of health care. The society can conclude that such errors in medication could be as a result of incompetent professionals in the field of medicine. In such a case, many citizens would opt to access medication outside Canada. According to Plews-Ogan (2016), error in medication is a severe threat in the health care sector in that it devastates the reputation of health care as a profession. A solution to this issue will highlight specific strategies to help doctors and clinicians sail through this problem; taking note of what they have not done well and made improvements accordingly. (Plews-Ogan, 2016). Therefore, addressing the issue of medical error in Canada is essential to reduce the consequences and costs. In order to solve the problem, the paper will discuss at depth, the effects of medication errors and labeling in Canada. The discussion will be anchored on three arguments as follows. Medical errors put nurses into various ethical dilemmas and issues that they have to struggle with and make decisions. In a case where a medication error has occurred; nurses have to consider multiple factors before informing the patient about the mistake or keeping quiet about it. Firstly, the nurse is fixed between informing and not informing the patient that a mistake in the medication process. Secondly, the nurse is in dilemma of holding the secrecy or informing the caretakers about the mistake. Thirdly the nurse is in difficulty of weighing between loosing trust by revealing the error or keeping the secret to see the patient die slowly. Fourthly, the nurse is faced with the dilemma of maintaining confidentiality of the organization by staying silent or putting the organization at risk by informing the patients about the errors. In both instances, there are two conflicting alternatives for the nurses once they do mistake in their process of medication. The ethical issues that face the healthcare entities as a result of medication error are grouped into five aspects: justice, disclosure and right to knowledge, beneficence and Nonmaleficence, veracity and autonomy and right to self-determination (Kangasniemi, Pakkanen and Korhonen, 2015). The aspects suggest the reason for every choice made within the healthcare sectors; thereby connecting the theoretical and practical understanding of the moral knowledge about medication error. In simple, these concepts explain as to why healthcare professionals like doctors, nurses and medical students come up with ways of approaching situations where errors in medication process has been asserted. In this regard, the paper will analyze three aspects to support the opinion to declare medication error an ethical issue in the health care sector. The first argument is based on the concept of autonomy and right to self-determination. In this aspect, patients are considered as essential individuals with powers to decide matters relating to their health (Evans et al., 2015). The health care entities are supposed to allow patients to express their opinions about what kind of medication they want with respect to their beliefs and values. By doing this, the healthcare providers are in a position to create strong bonds with the patients and must promise to keep the secrets of their patients and safeguard the confidentiality of the health information. Similarly, the nurses are in the position to understand how to approach the condition of the patient and come up with a better way to cure the disease. Besides, the nurses get to provide the right counseling services to their patients based on how to control the disease. In a case where the medical error happens, patients have rights to be informed about it. According to Casimiro et al. (2015), health professionals are required to educate patients about every operation so that patients understand and make the right decisions based on their customs and beliefs. By making patients aware of the activity undertaken, the healthcare givers ensure that recognizes the positive and negative sides of a procedure. Furthermore, possession of such information by the patients protects nurses from blames when a medical error is enumerated as part of the possible effect of the method. Most people like to give blames when things have grown out of help. Likewise, patients and their relatives shout to the watchmen and any other person around the premises in moments of danger. The second argument is based on the concept of beneficence and nonmaleficence. In this concept, health care providers are entitled to do what they believe is useful to their patients. That is to say; every health care provider must strive to increase the chances of healing by giving medication while reducing the opportunities to make medical errors. According to Tagin et al. (2015), the principle of beneficence and nonmaleficence requires healthcare entities to do to the patients what is right without inflicting any pain in the process. The medication process should therefore be framed to look good without causing any harm to the patients. Nurses get themselves in situations where the process of doing well end up resulting in some pain to the patient — for example, a nurse injecting a patient to treat typhoid fever. The patient feels pain in the region that is inserted. However, in such a case, the nurse will have to solve the dilemma by weighing between the two possible outcomes and proceed with the medication once the benefits outweigh the potential harm from the exercise of injecting the patient. In this regard, nurses are faced with various cases that need them to refer to this concept and make a decision whether to proceed with the medicatio...