Reported incidence, causes, and reporting of medication errors in teaching hospitals in Jordan: a comparative study

This research assessed the reported incidence, causes and reporting of medication errors in intensive care units (ICUs) and wards of Jordanian teaching hospitals. There are few studies about medication errors in Jordan. This survey was conducted in 2010 using a convenience sample of 212 nurses from four teaching hospitals. The response rate was 70.6% (212/300). The mean of the reported incidence of medication errors for the whole sample was 35%; 36.4% in ICUs and 33.8% in wards. An inaccurate rate of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) was the scenario most commonly classified as a drug error; for this nurses would notify the physician, and complete an incident report. Poor quality or damaged medication labels were the most commonly reported causes of errors. Nurses failed to report medication errors because they were afraid that they might be subjected to disciplinary actions. There were some significant differences between ICUs and wards in assessment of clinical scenarios, causes of medication errors as well as their reporting. Reporting of medication errors should be encouraged. Immediate interventions should be initiated by all healthcare professionals in all clinical settings, especially in wards.