Reducing Medication Errors Medication errors are a major problem in the healthcare community, and especially in pediatrics. “Up to 27% of all pediatric medication orders result in a medication error.” Keiffer, Marcum, Harrison, Teske, and Simsic (2014). There is far less room for error with drug administration when working with pediatrics. It should be a primary goal to significantly reduce the cases of medication error in ever facility. I will discuss the importance of reducing medical errors relating to a Pediatric Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit. The article titled Reduction of Medication Errors in a Pediatric Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit discusses the rate of medication errors in their unit, and the steps that were taken to try to eliminate or reduce the number of medication errors. “A medication error is defined as an error that occurs with the prescribing, dispensing, administering, adherence, or monitoring of a drug regardless of whether it results in patient harm or has the potential to result in patient harm.” Keiffer et al. (2014). The authors note that medication errors occur more often with administration issues as opposed to prescribing, ordering dispensing, or monitoring. The article discusses the health care professionals’ courses of action taken to reduce medication errors for their patients. The medical team implemented interventions and methods including: a double check system, hands free communication, a safety systems checklist, a distraction-free zone, information huddles, and a medication bar coding system. With the methods and steps taken there was also documentation, compliance, limitations, and opportunities for improvement listed. Overall, the medical team was able to significantly lower the rate of medication errors for their unit. They were able to reduce the amount of harm causing medical errors from “0.43 to