IMPROVING SAFETY FOR OUR PATIENTS
Family Medicine star recognized with Biggest Catch Award
To support safe medication practices, health care providers follow the “five rights” as a guide — the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right route and the right time. Being thorough when reviewing and administering medications has a major impact on a patient’s health.
This became evident when a patient came to UF Health Family Medicine at Haile Plantation to receive her prescribed medication. Before any medication was administered, Cathy Hewitt, L.P.N., noticed what she thought to be an incorrect dosage on the prescription that the patient brought from her local retail pharmacy.
After investigating, Hewitt found that the dosage likely reflected an old prescription that did not match the patient’s current needs. She immediately notified Michael McTiernan, M.D., an assistant professor in the UF College of Medicine department of community health and family Medicine and the Haile family practice medical director. McTiernan confirmed the needed dose and Hewitt gave the medication to the patient without incident.
But Hewitt did not stop there. She also contacted the retail pharmacy, requesting the removal of the outdated prescription and ensuring the correct one was on record. This extra step will help prevent a medication error in the future.
On that day, as evidenced by her demonstrated critical thinking skills and willingness to take quick action, Hewitt’s response served as an example of our health system’s unwavering commitment to providing the highest-quality patient care. Because of this, the UF Health Physicians Quality and Safety Group recognized Hewitt as the 2019 Second Quarter Biggest Catch Award recipient.
The practice’s ambulatory care unit manager, Kim Mann, said, “Cathy is dependable, dedicated and honest. But, most of all, Cathy is very passionate and takes her nursing role seriously.”