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Articles categorized as Medical Errors

Article imageJoe Graedon - September 30, 2024
Article imageKaren Berger, PharmD, RPh - July 25, 2024
Article imageJoe Graedon - October 2, 2024 - 45 comments

Will Medical Mistakes Kill You or Someone You Love?

Medical mistakes are a leading cause of death, yet they go unreported and ignored. A new study (10/1/24) reveals diagnostic errors are common!

Terry Graedon - April 24, 2024

Show 1250: Antimicrobial Resistant Infections Could Be the Next Pandemic

Terry Graedon - January 4, 2024

How Informed Are Patients Who Sign Consent Forms?

Dennis Miller, RPh - December 18, 2023

Should You Question a Change in Appearance of Your Pills?

Terry Graedon - October 23, 2023

Why We Care That Pharmacists Are Going on Strike

Dennis Miller, RPh - October 12, 2023

Here’s Why I’m Hoping Chain Store Pharmacists Undertake a National Walk-Out

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Dennis Miller, RPh - February 10, 2022

Shortage of Pharmacy Techs During Pandemic Can Have Deadly Consequences

Pharmacists are responsible for all the work done by technicians. With pharmacy techs quitting in the pandemic, the chances are higher that a tech's mistake will slip by your pharmacist.

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Terry Graedon - December 10, 2020

Show 1239: How Can We Prevent Diagnostic Disasters?

Getting a timely, accurate diagnosis is crucial for treatment. What questions should a patient ask to prevent diagnostic disasters?

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Dennis Miller, RPh - December 10, 2020

Can Chain Drugstores Handle the Deluge of COVID-19 Vaccinations?

Pressure on pharmacists may worsen when they struggle to administer lots of COVID-19 vaccinations despite chronic understaffing.

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Dennis Miller, RPh - September 17, 2020

18 Pharmacists Discuss Their Most Memorable Medication Mistakes

Have you ever gotten the wrong drug from the pharmacy? Here, pharmacists reveal their memorable medication mistakes.

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Terry Graedon - April 23, 2020

Show 1209: How a Doctor Confronts Medical Error

How dangerous are medical mistakes? Dr. Danielle Ofri considers that question in her book, When We Do Harm: A Doctor Confronts Medical Error.

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Dennis Miller, RPh - April 20, 2020

A Pharmacist’s 10 Reasons Why Doctors Prescribe Pills So Eagerly

In light of the serious questions about the safety of many pharmaceuticals, why do doctors prescribe drugs so freely? Here are 10 reasons.

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Terry Graedon - April 2, 2020

Show 1207: Can You Use Your Patient Portal for Better Health?

Learn how you could use your patient portal to get access to your electronic medical records and improve your own health. Broadcast 4/4/20

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Joe Graedon - December 26, 2019

Is Your Doctor Stressed? Depressed Doctors Are Dangerous!

Is your doctor stressed out, burned out or overwhelmed? Many MDs are beleaguered by a dysfunctional health care system. Depressed doctors are riskier.

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Terry Graedon - May 16, 2019

Should You Read Your Doctor’s Visit Notes?

Patients who have access to their visit notes online through a secure patient portal find it very helpful to read what the health care providers write.

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Terry Graedon - April 18, 2019

What Do Interns Do All Day?

A new time-motion study finds that interns spend far more time in front of computers than they do interacting directly with patients.

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Terry Graedon - February 20, 2019

Improving Patient Safety by Reducing Alert Fatigue

When a team at St. Jude changed its system for drug interaction warnings, doctors had less alert fatigue and were less likely to override important alerts.

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Terry Graedon - January 17, 2019

How Serious Is the Problem of Inappropriate Antibiotics?

An analysis of patient records demonstrates that perhaps a quarter of antibiotic prescriptions in the US are for inappropriate antibiotics.

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Terry Graedon - April 26, 2018

How Clean Is the Endoscope Your Doctor Will Use?

Even hospitals that follow disinfecting protocols scrupulously cannot guarantee that every endoscope is free from bacterial contamination.

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Terry Graedon - April 5, 2018

How Common Are Antibiotic-Resistant “Nightmare Bacteria”?

The CDC is recommending infection control measures to keep nightmare bacteria like Klebsiella from spreading resistance to the antibiotic carbapenem.

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Terry Graedon - March 15, 2018

Will a Crowded Emergency Room Interfere with Your Care?

If a crowded emergency room forces doctors to examine patients in the hallway, there is a risk of missing or delaying the correct diagnosis.

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Terry Graedon - November 13, 2017

An Inside Look at Pharmacy Mistakes

Pharmacy mistakes happen too frequently. Pharmacists and technicians feel bad about them. Patients should check their prescriptions carefully.

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Terry Graedon - September 27, 2017

Why Are So Many Pharmacists Disillusioned?

Top Ten Reasons Pharmacists Are Disillusioned and Why You Should Care by Dennis Miller, R.Ph.

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Terry Graedon - December 22, 2016

Patients Do Better Under Women Doctors’ Care

Older patients were less likely to die or come back to the hospital when they were under women doctors' care, though scientists don't know why.

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Joe Graedon - June 13, 2016

Are Medical Mistakes and Deaths Being Swept Under the Rug?

Medical mistakes that lead to death are a highly controversial topic. Some physicians reject the data and question the concerns raised in a new study.

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The People's Pharmacy - May 5, 2016

What Is the Third Leading Cause of Death?

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Terry Graedon - January 11, 2016

Be Wary of Deadly Mistakes in Health Care

Too often, patients are unaware that mistakes in health care are not unusual and can have extremely serious consequences.

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Terry Graedon - December 10, 2015

Residents Fond of Low-Value Tests

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Terry Graedon - November 9, 2015

Should You Fire Your Doctor?

If a doctor is cavalier about evaluating your health or lackadaisical about your treatment, it might be time to fire your doctor.

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Joe Graedon - September 24, 2015

Are You Furious You Will Be Misdiagnosed? You Should Be

A new report from the best doctors in America says diagnostic errors are common and deadly. Protect yourself and your loved ones from diagnostic disasters.

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Joe Graedon - July 8, 2015

Keeping Patients Safe in the Hospital

Keeping patients safe in the hospital can be a challenge, but clear communication and transparent accountability would help.

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Joe Graedon - March 1, 2015

Taking a Peek at Your Doctor’s Notes

Patients who have access to their clinic notes found them helpful, while doctors found that they added only slightly to overall workload.

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Joe Graedon - February 5, 2015

Why Do Surgical Patients Land Back in the Hospital?

Most surgical readmissions appear to be due to post-operative complications that show up once the patient has gone home.

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Joe Graedon - December 4, 2014

Survey: Medical Errors Are Common

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Joe Graedon - December 4, 2014

Medical Mistakes Are Killing Fewer Americans

Reducing medical mistakes in hospital care has meant 50,000 fewer patients have died from health care harm in the last four years.

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Joe Graedon - October 20, 2014

Nurse Is Distressed about Poor Hand Washing Habits

Hand washing failures lead to the spread of infections within hospitals.

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Joe Graedon - October 15, 2014

Patients Need to Wash Their Hands Too

Patients who fail to wash their hands in the hospital put themselves at risk of infection.

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Terry Graedon - April 24, 2014

FDA Calls for Change in Techniques Used for Hysterectomy

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Joe Graedon - March 24, 2014

What Can Health Care Learn from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370?

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Terry Graedon - February 8, 2014

Show 934: What Are Hospitals Trying to Hide?

Trying to collect information on hospital prices and medical errors leads patients to wonder: what are hospitals trying to hide?

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Terry Graedon - January 30, 2014

Norepinephrine Shortage Threatens Safety of Seriously Ill Patients

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Joe Graedon - September 30, 2013

Are You Mad As Hell About Medical Mistakes? If Not, Why Not?

Medical mistakes contribute to far too much disability and death to be dismissed lightly. How can you protect yourself or your family?

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Terry Graedon - July 11, 2013

How Vital Are Nighttime Vital Sign Measurements?

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Terry Graedon - July 8, 2013

How to Avoid Disaster at the Drugstore

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Terry Graedon - May 2, 2013

Medication Mistakes Happen at Home

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Joe Graedon - April 29, 2013

White Coat Conspiracy Covers Up Medical Tragedy

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Terry Graedon - April 11, 2013

Too Many Beeps Create Alarm Fatigue

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Terry Graedon - March 7, 2013

Is Alert Fatigue Hiding Your Test Results?

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Joe Graedon - January 31, 2013

Overloading Doctors May Put Patients at Risk

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Joe Graedon - January 28, 2013

Why Hospitals Should Study Airlines

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Joe Graedon - January 24, 2013

Crisis Checklist Means Life or Death in Surgical Emergency

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Terry Graedon - January 21, 2013

Did Surgeons Really Leave 16 Items Inside Patient?

Most people do not look forward to surgery. Even great surgeons can sometimes make mistakes. Are there ways to reduce the risks. What questions should you ask BEFORE surgery?

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Joe Graedon - December 27, 2012

Too Much Tylenol in the Hospital

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Terry Graedon - December 24, 2012

Surgical Errors Are Tip of the Iceberg

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Joe Graedon - October 22, 2012

What Does Your Doctor Write About You?

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Terry Graedon - October 11, 2012

Contaminated Steroid Injections in Other Joints?

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Joe Graedon - September 27, 2012

Unnecessary Antibiotics Put Seniors at Risk

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Joe Graedon - September 27, 2012

Don’t Rush the Pharmacist

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Joe Graedon - September 18, 2012

Sidestepping Screwups in Health Care

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Joe Graedon - August 20, 2012

Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s Advice for Avoiding Medical Mistakes

Patient vigilance is critical in avoiding medical mistakes, which are an important source of health care harm.

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Joe Graedon - May 31, 2012

Medication Mistakes Could Be Deadly

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Terry Graedon - January 23, 2012

Pharmacy Mistakes Could Be Deadly

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Terry Graedon - December 11, 2011

The Hidden Hazards of Health Care

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Joe Graedon - November 6, 2011

What Are the Top 10 Screwups Doctors Make when Prescribing?

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Terry Graedon - October 20, 2011

Low Marks for American Health Care

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Terry Graedon - August 25, 2011

Checklist Saves Lives and Money

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Terry Graedon - July 31, 2011

Medication Errors in Assisted Living Facilities

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Terry Graedon - July 11, 2011

Pharmacy Errors Can Be Deadly

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Joe Graedon - June 2, 2011

Computerized Prescribing Reduces Errors

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Terry Graedon - May 22, 2011

Be Alert for Pharmacy Errors

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Terry Graedon - May 9, 2011

Drugstore Haste Leads to Harm

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Terry Graedon - April 21, 2011

Surgeons Are Less Sharp After a Night on the Town

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Terry Graedon - April 14, 2011

Medical Errors Much Too Common

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Terry Graedon - March 24, 2011

Communication Failures Put Patients at Risk

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Terry Graedon - February 2, 2011

Hospital Changes Keep Patients Safer

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Terry Graedon - December 30, 2010

Surgeons to Disclose Sleep Deprivation

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Terry Graedon - December 2, 2010

Confusing Instructions for Children’s OTC Medicine

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Terry Graedon - November 28, 2010

Be Vigilant to Avoid Harm in the Hospital

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Terry Graedon - November 24, 2010

Patient Safety Still Lags

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Terry Graedon - October 21, 2010

Surgical Errors Still Happen

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Terry Graedon - September 29, 2010

Safer Prescribing Still Elusive

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Terry Graedon - September 23, 2010

Telephone Support Cut Hospitalization

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Terry Graedon - September 23, 2010

E-Prescribing Gains Ground

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Terry Graedon - August 9, 2010

Don’t Let the Cure Kill You

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Terry Graedon - July 29, 2010

Overprescribing Hard to Change

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Terry Graedon - June 9, 2010

Surgery Centers Lax on Infection Control

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Terry Graedon - May 27, 2010

Presurgical Checklists Save Lives

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Terry Graedon - May 20, 2010

Bar Codes in the Hospital

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Terry Graedon - May 10, 2010

Preventing Health Care Harm

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Terry Graedon - April 8, 2010

Too Many Articles Are Mum on Harm

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Terry Graedon - March 11, 2010

Do Specialists Slant Their Recommendations for Treatment?

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Terry Graedon - March 3, 2010

Electronic Prescribing Cuts Errors

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Terry Graedon - February 11, 2010

Dosing Cups Linked to Mistakes

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Terry Graedon - January 31, 2010

Deadly Drug Disasters Are Preventable

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Terry Graedon - January 7, 2010

Don’t Measure Medicine in Kitchen Spoon

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Joe Graedon - December 29, 2009

Preventing Drug Mistakes In The Hospital

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Terry Graedon - December 22, 2009

When Do Doctors Tell Parents About Errors in Child’s Care?

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Terry Graedon - December 16, 2009

Radiation from CT Scans May Pose Risk

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Terry Graedon - November 19, 2009

Outrage Over Mammogram Mix-Up

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Terry Graedon - October 23, 2009

Health Care Provider Who Fails to Wash Hands Spreads Germs

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Terry Graedon - September 10, 2009

X-Ray Equipment May Spread Infections

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Terry Graedon - September 3, 2009

More Children Poisoned by Medicines

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Joe Graedon - June 25, 2009

Abnormal Results May Not Be Shared with Patient

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Joe Graedon - May 17, 2009

Industry Influence Undermines Medical care

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Joe Graedon - December 29, 2008

Is Physician Fatigue Fatal for Patients?

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Joe Graedon - July 28, 2008

Electronic Prescribing Has Benefits

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Joe Graedon - February 18, 2008

Beware Of Drug Name Mix-Ups

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Terry Graedon - July 23, 2007

Stay Safe in the Hospital

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Terry Graedon - March 12, 2007

Trust But Verify Your Medicine

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Terry Graedon - August 14, 2006

Medication Mistakes Harm More Than 1 Million

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Joe Graedon - August 22, 2005

Hospitals Take Lessons From Supermarkets

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Joe Graedon - June 13, 2005

Medication Mistakes Are Common And Deadly

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Joe Graedon - August 23, 2004

Medical Mistakes Still Take Too Many Lives

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Joe Graedon - December 29, 2003

Medication Mistakes Are Common And Can Be Deadly

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Joe Graedon - October 20, 2003

How Safe Are American Medicines?

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Joe Graedon - March 17, 2003

Hospital Errors Have Tragic Consequences

Most people do not like to think about medical mistakes. We want to have confidence in our health professionals. But hospital errors and common and deadly.

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Joe Graedon - January 13, 2003

Medical Errors Are Still A Problem

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Joe Graedon - November 26, 2002

Children Vulnerable To Medication Problems

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Joe Graedon - October 28, 2002

Medication Mistakes Are Common And Serious