U.S. Army Uses Electronic Health Records To Help Reduce Medication Errors

The medication error attorneys at Lebowitz and Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers are proud to have represented members of this country’s armed forces and their families in a variety of legal matters. In addition to the stresses that come with being a member of the military, soldiers and their families also have to be concerned about the risk of injury from medication errors.

The United States Army is comprised of 675,000 active duty soldiers. Army health centers are responsible for providing medical care to active duty personnel, their dependants, and a substantial population of veterans and their families. As a result, busy Army health facilities, including pharmacies, face the same risk of committing medication errors as their civilian counterparts.

The DeWitt Health Care Network serves 150,000 people in the Fort Belvoir Army community and is taking steps to reduce the risk of injuries from medication errors. Major Lela C. King, Chief of Pharmacy, reported that the network has given its patients pocket-sized medication cards that contain patient allergies, prescriptions, and other vital health information. These cards will reduce the risk of dangerous a physician prescribing a medication that interacts with one the patient is already taking.

Additionally, Major King has overseen the installation of digital patient records software and hardware in Dewitt facilities. According to Major King, the Army has recognized that such electronic health information can “decrease the number of medication errors made at the pharmacy by 70 percent.”


Maryland medication error attorneys, Jack Lebowitz and Vadim Mzhen represent injury victims throughout Maryland and in the District of Columbia. Contact Lebowitz & Mzhen for a free consultation to discuss your medication error case.

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