Pharmacy student knowledge and communication of medication errors.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy education
• Patient safety
• Medication error communication

Background:

• Medication errors pose a significant risk to patient safety.
• Effective communication regarding medication errors is crucial for prevention and management.
• Pharmacy students require adequate training to handle medication errors proficiently.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess pharmacy students' knowledge of medication errors.
• To evaluate pharmacy students' comfort levels in communicating, managing, and preventing medication errors.
• To identify factors influencing students' knowledge and comfort regarding medication error communication.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey design was employed.
• Fifth-year pharmacy students completed a survey with open- and close-ended questions.
• The survey examined factors associated with knowledge and comfort in communicating medication errors.

Main Results:

• 93 students completed the survey (90% response rate).
• Nearly 80% of students reported no prior training in communicating medication errors.
• Perceived adequacy of training correlated positively with knowledge (p ≤ 0.001) and comfort (p ≤ 0.05) in communicating medication errors.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights a clear need for enhanced training in medication error communication for pharmacy students.
• Educational interventions are necessary to ensure consistent instruction on these critical communication skills.
• Improved training is essential for better knowledge and comfort in managing medication errors.