What is the primary purpose of error-proofing (poka-yoke) in medication safety?

• A. It guarantees that no errors will ever occur.
• B. It prevents or detects errors by design.
• C. It relies on after-action analysis to catch mistakes.
• D. It delays medication administration to verify every detail.

Answer: (B)

Poka-yoke, or error-proofing, is about building safeguards directly into the medication-use process so mistakes are prevented or caught at the moment they could occur. By designing systems that require the correct action or provide automatic checks, you reduce reliance on memory and vigilance and steer care toward safety at the point of administration. Examples include bar-code verification that confirms patient, medication, and dose before giving a drug, or smart devices that block an incorrect action unless the data match. This approach aims for proactive protection, not just after-the-fact analysis or extra delays in workflow. It won’t guarantee zero errors, but it significantly lowers risk by making wrong actions impossible or immediately noticeable.