According to the NZ District Health Boards 2006 report, three times as many people died from medical error than the annual road toll. Safe & Quality use of Medicine (SQM) spokesperson Dr Dwayne Crombie stated: ‘that they are aware of the level of medication errors is hugely significant’.
The DHB’s have since formulated a strategy to lower the death rate of nearly 1500 people are year due to medical errors. This strategy suggests change to the systems and processes which primary and secondary health providors use for high risk medication (ref: Patient’s Rights Advocacy).
2015-2022 Charts displaying medical errors and potential deaths are featured in the main article.