HSE Reports 738 Patients Harmed in Medication Incidents Last Year, Six Cases Extreme
The HSE reported 738 patients were harmed in medication incidents last year, with six cases deemed extreme. A total of 10,400 incidents were recorded, including near misses. The HSE's Patient Safety Strategy aims to reduce medication-related harm, with new indicators and inspections in place.
New figures reveal that 738 patients experienced harm due to medication-related incidents within Health Service Executive (HSE) services last year. Of these cases, 732 resulted in minor or moderate harm, while six were classified as causing extreme harm.
In total, 10,400 medicine-related incidents, including near misses, were recorded. Over 7,150 incidents reached a patient but resulted in no harm or negligible harm. Additionally, more than 2,540 incidents were categorized as near misses, meaning the medication error did not reach a patient. A medication incident is defined as a preventable event that may lead to patient harm while medication is under the control of a healthcare professional.
These details were provided in a HSE response to a parliamentary question posed by Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín. Data from the State Claims Agency indicates that omitted or delayed medication doses were the most frequent type of medication incident. The public health service manages approximately two million inpatient and day case treatments annually, alongside a similar volume of emergency department cases.
The HSE stated that its Patient Safety Strategy prioritizes reducing medication-related harm as a common cause of adverse events. Improvements are being implemented at local, regional, and national levels to mitigate medication risks. This year, a Polypharmacy key performance indicator was introduced to monitor the proportion of individuals aged 65 and older prescribed ten or more regular medications, serving as an indicator of potentially inappropriate medication use. The Health Information and Quality Authority also conducts inspections in public hospitals to enhance patient safety concerning medication use.