AAP News Vol. 2 No. 8 August 1986, p. 6
© 1986 American Academy of Pediatrics
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Medication mistakes still subject of liability suits despite advances

William O. Robertson M.D.

Both in the office and in the hospital, "drug errors" constitute a rapidly increasing cause of negligence actions. Barely noticeable as a malpractice issue through the 1960s, "medication mistakes" accounted upwards for 20 percent of claims filed by the start of the 1980s. And this phenomenon occurred despite many technologic innovations — unit doses, drug "imprints," package inserts and computer coding for possible interactions — all aimed at curtailing the problem. Even better training of health professionals seems to provide no reassurance that any solution to the problem is on the horizon. Why should this be so?