Which of the following is an example of a rules-based medication error?

Which of the following is an example of a rules-based medication error?

• A. The EMT administers a drug that is not approved by the medical director.
• B. The EMT administers the contraindicated drug.
• C. The EMT administers the drug via the wrong route.
• D. The EMT administers the correct drug, but the dose is too low.

Answer: (A)

Rules-based errors happen when there’s a clear policy or rule about what should be done, and that rule isn’t followed. Administering a drug not approved by the medical director fits this, because the approval status is a standing rule guiding which medications can be used; giving something not on the approved list means the rule wasn’t followed. The other scenarios involve different kinds of mistakes—decision-making about contraindications, a slip in performing a procedure (like route), or a miscalculation in dosing—each pointing to other types of error.

Rules-based errors happen when there’s a clear policy or rule about what should be done, and that rule isn’t followed. Administering a drug not approved by the medical director fits this, because the approval status is a standing rule guiding which medications can be used; giving something not on the approved list means the rule wasn’t followed. The other scenarios involve different kinds of mistakes—decision-making about contraindications, a slip in performing a procedure (like route), or a miscalculation in dosing—each pointing to other types of error.