Determinants of patient-reported medication errors: a comparison among seven countries

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Policy
• Patient Safety Research
• Medication Error Analysis

Background:

• Medication errors significantly contribute to adverse drug events and pose a major threat to patient safety.
• Understanding international variations in medication error predictors is crucial for developing targeted safety interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the predictors of patient-reported medication errors across seven high-income countries.
• To identify common and country-specific risk factors associated with medication errors.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing the 2007 Commonwealth Fund International Health Policy Survey data.
• Logistic regression analysis was employed to examine patient-reported medication errors over the preceding two years.
• Included 11,910 respondents from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Main Results:

• Eleven percent (11%) of respondents reported experiencing a medication error.
• Poor coordination of care emerged as a significant predictor across all seven countries (adjusted odds ratios [ORs] 2.1–3.0).
• Cost-related barriers to medical services/medicines were also significant in six countries (ORs 1.9–2.6), alongside factors like multiple specialists, chronic conditions, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits.

Conclusions:

• Poor care coordination is a universal risk factor for medication errors, emphasizing the need for improved inter-provider communication.
• Cost-related barriers are strongly associated with increased medication error likelihood, highlighting access issues.
• Enhanced organization of care across settings and better communication among healthcare providers are essential for effective error prevention strategies.