Background: The Food and Drug Administration receives over 100,000 reports of medication errors each year1. This data is believed to be an underrepresentation of actual medication errors due to reluctance of health professionals to report errors2. Interprofessional education (IPE) offers a platform for medical and pharmacy students to collaborate, enhancing their ability to recognize, and report medication errors. The aim of this innovation is to assess the effectiveness of a single interprofessional education session focused on medication safety in improving the completion and accuracy of healthcare professional students’ reporting of medication errors.
Methods: An interprofessional educational session, involving medical and pharmacy students, presented the case of a patient who died because of a medication error. The session comprised three components: case presentation, discussion of the implications of the medication error on the patient, family, and care providers, and a hands-on activity where students practiced reporting the error using a simulated MedWatch platform. The students' reports were analyzed for completeness and accuracy based on data available from the case presentation. Comparisons were made between disciplines (medical vs. pharmacy) and between reports completed individually versus an interprofessional team submission.
Results: Sixty-eight teams completed this activity between September 2023 and March 2024 and 163 medical and pharmacy students individually reported the medication error through the MedWatch simulated activity between January 2023 and September 2023. Preliminary analysis revealed significant differences in the thoroughness and accuracy of MedWatch reports based on discipline and teamwork. Interprofessional teams outperformed individual efforts in both disciplines, producing more comprehensive and accurate reports. The collaborative approach facilitated better identification of error components and depth in reporting of pertinent details. Interestingly, when reporting as a team, 72% of teams chose a medical student to be their scribe.
Conclusion: The study underscores the value of interprofessional education in enhancing medication safety practices among healthcare students. The findings suggest that collaborative learning environments improve the reporting accuracy of medication errors and foster a deeper understanding of interprofessional roles in patient safety. This research highlights the necessity of incorporating IPE sessions in healthcare curricula focused on medication error reporting to prepare future professionals for safe teamwork in clinical settings.
Implications for Practice: Educators should consider integrating interprofessional training sessions focused on medication safety and error reporting in health professionals’ curricula. By fostering collaboration between medical and pharmacy students, healthcare education can significantly reduce medication errors and enhance patient safety outcomes.
In support of improving patient care, this activity is planned and implemented by The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education Office of Interprofessional Continuing Professional Development (National Center OICPD). The National Center OICPD is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
As a Jointly Accredited Provider, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.
The National Center OICPD (JA#: 4008105) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers (ATs).
This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
Physicians: The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education designates this live activity for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with their participation.
Physician Assistants: The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME.
Nurses: Participants will be awarded contact hours of credit for attendance at this workshop.
Nurse Practitioners: The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME and ANCC.
Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians: This activity is approved for contact hours.
Athletic Trainers: This program is eligible for Category A hours/CEUs. ATs should claim only those hours actually spent in the educational program.
Social Workers: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the National Center is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. The National Center maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive continuing education credits.
IPCE: This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.
Learners can claim CE credit by completing the Daily Evaluation.
