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Many people have small pouches in their colons that bulge outward through weak spots. Each pouch is called a diverticulum. About 10% of Americans older than age 40 years have diverticulosis, which, when the pouches become infected or inflamed, is called diverticulitis. The main cause of diverticular disease is a low-fiber diet.
Medication errors are more common among seriously ill patients than with those with minor conditions.
Medication errors are three times higher among children and infants than with adults.
More than 34,000 trademarked medication names and more than 10,000 generic medication names are in use in the United States.
Recent studies have shown that the number of medication errors increases in relation to the number of orders that are verified per pharmacist, per work shift.