Pre-filled syringes, adequate staffing and proper training may all be key to minimize risks.
A woman from the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area tragically lost her life after suffering an allergic reaction to an antibiotic that was administered to her not once, but twice, during a hernia surgery. The surgery had to be stopped initially when she experienced a severe allergic reaction to the medication. Despite this, during a second attempt to perform the surgery, the same antibiotic was administered again after the surgeon believed the initial reaction had been misunderstood, and errors like this can prove deadly.
Jon Perry, the attorney representing the woman’s family, expressed outrage over the incident, calling it one of the most egregious cases of medical malpractice he had encountered in his decades-long career. Perry drew attention to the fact that there are numerous alternative antibiotics that could have been used in the surgery in order to prevent infection, making the repeated administration of the allergenic drug inexcusable.
This case is just one example of common medical errors that can put patients’ lives on the line. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), medication errors are the leading cause of patient injury, contributing to an annual global cost of $42 billion. In the United States alone, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported it receives over 100,000 reports of errors each year, affecting millions of patients.
Pennsylvania has taken its own steps to monitor medication errors, with the state documenting tens of thousands of errors annually over the past several years. Although the overall number of reported incidents has been declining as a result, ironically, the severity of the mistakes has risen, with more cases resulting in serious injury or death. The most common medication error is the administration of the wrong drug, which accounted for thousands of incidents in 2022 and 2023.
A lawsuit filed by a woman from Sewickley Township, Pennsylvania, has further brought attention to the dangers posed by medication errors. During a back surgery at Forbes Hospital, the woman was mistakenly given methadone (a powerful narcotic) when she was supposed to receive methocarbamol, a muscle relaxant. The error resulted in severe complications, including brain damage and damage to her vocal cords. The hospital has acknowledged the mistake, but the circumstances surrounding the event remain unclear.
The medical community refers to cases like this as “never events”—incidents that are entirely preventable and should never occur in a hospital setting. The National Quality Forum defines these events as easily identifiable and avoidable errors that lead to serious harm for patients. Despite safeguards and protocols designed to prevent such incidents, they still occur, raising questions about the reliability of current safety measures.
Dan Laurent, a representative for Allegheny Health Network, which operates Forbes Hospital, stated that the error was immediately recognized and reported both to the patient’s family and the Department of Health. The hospital has since conducted a thorough investigation into the incident and has rolled out process improvements to prevent similar errors.
One of the proposed solutions to reduce the likelihood of medication errors is the use of pre-filled syringes, which can eliminate the need to manually draw medication from a vial, a process that introduces the possibility of human error. Pre-filled syringes are also easier to label correctly, reducing the chances of administering the wrong drug or dosage.
Another potential safeguard is the use of barcodes on medication vials, a practice that is not yet widespread but has shown promise in preventing errors. By scanning a barcode, healthcare providers can ensure they are administering the correct medication in the proper dosage.
Ultimately, preventing medication errors requires not just advanced technology but also sufficient staffing and proper training. As attorney Ben Cohen points out, many of these errors stem from human failure, which tends to worsen amid understaffing. Ensuring that hospitals are adequately staffed and that employees have the necessary training and time to carefully review patient charts can go a long way in minimizing errors.
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Escalating medication errors pose grave risks for Pennsylvania patients
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