Monash University research has found medication errors in aged care facilities are common and their potential to cause harm is high, but that reporting of the serious effects of such errors on residents – such as permanent disability or death – is rare.

The researchers looked at a number of studies from 2000 to 2015 that showed between 16 and 27 per cent of residents had been exposed to one or more medication errors. They also found that errors resulting in serious outcomes were “probably underreported or undetected”.

Conversation starter

Have you or a loved one experienced an issue with how medications were being managed in a residential aged care facility? Did any error occur at the home or at the time of transfer to/from another health facility? Were aged care facility staff made aware of any medication issue? Was a medical practitioner made aware of the issue? Were you satisfied by the response from either by staff or medical professionals? Were there any serious consequences? Was the matter ultimately resolved?