A survey from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has found that the recession may be compromising medication safety—at least according to hospital workers surveyed nationwide.

In an ISMP survey of healthcare professionals made in fall 2009, the economy appears to be putting various pressure on a number of hospitals—particularly through staff cuts—causing them to take steps in response to the economic downturn that could put patients at greater risk.

A study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine shows that patients are often unable to name their medications. The results of a small survey of 50 patients in a Colorado Hospital, U.S., reveal that when patients are asked to list their medications 96% of the patients left out at least one drug and on average, they omitted 6,8 medications. Besides that 44% of the patients named a medication that had not been described.

For those hospitals looking for a concise list of actions to take to prevent adverse events and improve patient safety, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has created just that.

From a study, led by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in the U.S.A, it appears that major medical errors, which are self-reported by American surgeons, are strongly related to both burnout and depression. Some surgeons are likely to commit medical errors if they are suffering from burnout and depressions, according to the study published this week in the online version of the Annals of Surgery.