Medication Errors in Hospital Settings: Prevention and Management – A Review

Abstract

Medication mistakes are one of the most common preventable causes of injury to patients in healthcare systems globally 1 and pose a serious challenge to patient safety in hospitals. Errors can occur at any stage of the medication-use process: prescribing, transcribing, dispensing, administering, and monitoring drugs. Medication errors happen because of the following factors such as severe work load, poor communication, under staffing, absence of standardized procedures, complex medication regimens etc. The implications include modest side effects or serious morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, higher health care costs, and even death. Effective prevention and control of pharmaceutical errors necessitate a multidisciplinary approach with the participation of healthcare professionals, hospital administrators and patients. Strategies that have shown significant potential in reducing medication-related incidents include computerized physician order entry systems, barcode medication administration, medication reconciliation, clinical decision support systems, staff education, and active involvement of clinical pharmacists. Timely detection, reporting, root cause investigation and implementation of corrective steps are critical for medication safety and prevention of recurrence. The purpose of this review is to describe the types, causes, consequences, prevention, and management of medication mistakes in the hospital setting, emphasizing the role of clinical pharmacists to promote the safe and effective administration of medications. Improving medication safety systems and promoting a culture of error reporting can significantly improve the quality of care and health outcomes