The issue focused on patients who appear to have died because of medical mistakes or doctors taking medication without clinical approval. It found that hospital patient deaths increased between 2003 and 2008 in 33 states. In 2009, researchers estimated that 26 percent of medical errors involved medicine used improperly.

Dr. Wright said doctors should give doctors specific guidelines about use of medications for treatment of illness and injury. She noted that studies show doctors sometimes prescribe medicine based on academic evidence rather than scientific research.Dec 24, 2017 - NASA scientists announced