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Experts estimate that as many as 98,000 people die in any given year from medical errors that occur in hospitals. A significant number of those deaths is due to medication errors. That is more than die from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS— three causes that receive far more public attention. Indeed, more people die annually from medication errors than from workplace injuries. Add the financial cost to the human tragedy, and medical error easily rises to the top ranks of urgent, widespread public problems. The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP) defines medication error as "any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer. Such events may be related to professional practice, health care products, procedures, and systems, including prescribing; order communication; product labeling, packaging, and nomenclature; compounding; dispensing; distribution; administration; education; monitoring; and use." In an ongoing effort to decrease the number of adverse events due to medication errors, NCC MERP has developed the following listing of resources to provide consumers with information on safe medication use. This listing is by no means an all-encompassing list, but should serve as a starting point for gathering information. AARP Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality American Hospital Association American Pharmacists Association American Society of Health System Pharmacists Be MedWise Food and Drug Administration Food and Drug Administration – MedWatch Program Institute for Safe Medication Practices The Joint Commission National Council on Patient Information and Education Medication Use Safety Training Medicine Safety National Institutes of Health National Patient Safety Foundation Partnership for Prescription Assistance Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America SeniorCarePharmacist.com United States Pharmacopeia © 2013 National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention. All Rights Reserved. *Permission is hereby granted to reproduce information contained herein provided that such reproduction shall not modify the text and shall include the copyright notice appearing on the pages from which it was copied. This copyright statement will change to the new year after the 1st of every year.