Anticoagulant Overdoses Prompt Joint Commission to Issue National Patient Safety Goals (REL-ACU-0-CE463)

Course overview

In 2008, The Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goal 3 (improve the safety of using medications) was expanded to help reduce the likelihood of patient harm associated with anticoagulation therapy. Safe anticoagulant use continued to be emphasized in the 2016 National Patient Safety Goals across multiple care settings. Anticoagulant medications are used to prevent or treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT); they are considered high-alert medications that pose a risk of injury or death if not used correctly. Errors related to anticoagulants do not necessarily occur more often than with other drugs, but the consequences are more devastating. As hospitals seek to avoid harm to patients from anticoagulation therapy, knowledgeable bedside clinicians will be important contributors to the safety processes that emerge.