Lauren is nearing the end of a long shift at an urgent care clinic. She receives a stat order for a pediatric patient for 500,000 units of penicillin for a dog bite. She draws up 0.5ml of a 10,000,000 units/1ml penicillin injectable and proceeds to administer the medication. Describe how an error occurred and what types of processes should be in place to prevent this type of error. Is the medical assistant responsible for the outcomes associated with a medication calculation error in your state?
For your citation, you might use articles that show examples of accurate and inaccurate medical dosages for adults and pediatrics. You can also find articles from experts that suggest best practices for accurately calculating adult and pediatric dosages.