Reining in Heparin in Hospitals

According to a regulatory group, hospitals must rein in heparin mistakes by using preventative measures of new bar code technology and computerized drug orders. Recent errors include overdoses to newborn infants including actor Dennis Quaid’s twins.

Now investigators will make surprise visits to ensure that hospitals are using the safety measures. Hospitals who fail will have their accreditation pulled.

The investigators are a private group that sets hospital standards and accredits hospitals and medical centers.

Almost 60,000 medication errors involving blood thinners were reported between 2001 and 2006.