Reply #31: This used to happen a lot

[FloridaJudy]

Back when I was a hospital RN in the seventies. Drugs that are prescribed in "units" (like insulin and heparin) were particularly chancy: a doc's bad handwriting easily allowed "10u" to be read as "100". This even happened to me. It slipped by me, another RN and the pharmacist - the dose we gave was within reason, if a bit high. Thank the gods the patient suffered no harm! From then on any doctor who didn't write out "units" got a severe reprimand.

But hospitals have had three decades since to get it right. They now have computers, automated med carts and pre-packaged unit doses. Are they still relying on some sleep-deprived Resident's hastily scrawled orders and some overworked nurse's hasty oversight?