Quality and Safety in the United States
Today, the sheer number of medically-related procedures performed – and prescriptions written – is staggering. More than 45 million inpatient surgeries are performed in U.S. hospitals each year. About 82 percent of all adults visit their doctor at least once a year. And, according to the Food and Drug Administration, approximately 3.1 billion prescriptions were filled in 2003, up 60 percent from just 10 years before.
With numbers like this – and because we are human – errors are bound to occur. But rest assured that everyone in health care wants to improve safety and quality of care. Here are just a few of the health care organizations in place to protect the consumer:
- Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research – Consumer Info
- American Medical Association
- American Pharmacists Association
- National Council on Patient Information and Education
- National Patient Safety Foundation
- Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
- United States Pharmacopeia
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Patient Safety Portal
