Medication Errors Injure 1.5 Million People and Cost Billions of Dollars Annually.
Medication errors are among the most common medical errors, harming at least 1.5 million people every year, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. The extra medical costs of treating drug-related injuries occurring in hospitals alone conservatively amount to $3.5 billion a year, and this estimate does not take into account lost wages and productivity or additional health care costs, the report says.
The extra medical costs of treating drug-related injuries occurring in hospitals alone conservatively amount to $3.5 billion a year.
More than one of five Americans report that they or a family member experienced a medical or medication error.
More than one of five Americans report that they or a family member had experienced a medical or prescription drug error, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund. Based on respondents' evaluation of these errors, this translates into an estimated 8.1 million households nationally reporting a medical or prescription drug error which turned out to be a very serious problem.
The Institute of Medicine report, which estimated that there are 44,000 to 98,000 deaths annually due to medical errors, may be the tip of the iceberg in determining the full extent of injuries from medical errors.
Preventable injury from medical mistakes are costing the economy as much as $29 billion annually, of which half is healthcare costs.
Even on the low estimate, medical mistakes kill more people than motor vehicle accidents 43,458; breast cancer 42,297; AIDS 16,516
Sleep Deprivation and Patient Safety
According to the Society of Actuaries, medical mistakes cost the U.S. economy over $19.5 billion in 2008. During that year, the report estimates that medical mistakes caused over 1.5 million injuries, resulting in 2,500 estimated deaths. Though the causes for mistakes vary, doctor fatigue has often been cited as a major factor in medical

AHRQ, 20 Tips to Help Prevent Medical Errors Patient Fact Sheet
That means taking part in every decision about your health care. Research shows that patients who are more involved with their care tend to get better results. Some specific tips, based on the latest scientific evidence about what works best, follow.
National Patient Safety Foundation; National Agenda for Action: Patients and Families in Patient Safety Nothing About Me, Without Me
This document is a call to action to all hospitals, health systems, national and local healthcare organizations to involve patients and families in systems and patient safety programs.
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The Patient-Centered Communication standards were approved in December 2009 and released to the field in January 2010.