Nursing Download

Nurses need every resource possible to keep their patients safe from untoward drug effects. In the wake of rising public controversy about drug safety and two drug-focused Institute of Medicine (IOM) reports released in 2006, Nursing Spectrum Drug Handbook 2008 is an especially timely publication. The first report, “Preventing Drug Errors,” found that adverse drug events harm at least 1.5 million Americans each year and that the average hospital patient is subject to at least one medication error per day. The second report, “The Future of Drug Safety: Promoting and Protecting the Health of the Public,” continues the national debate over drug safety that intensified after the 2004 withdrawal of Vioxx, the popular arthritis drug associated with double the risk of myocardial infarction. This report found that problems at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), such as lack of clear regulatory authority, chronic underfunding, and organizational issues, have led to the agency’s failure to