Medication errors reported to the National Medication Error Reporting System in Malaysia: a 4-year retrospective...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacovigilance
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Medication errors (MEs) pose a significant threat to patient safety.
• Understanding the characteristics of MEs is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
• The National Medication Error Reporting System (MERS) in Malaysia serves as a vital data source for analyzing MEs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the characteristics of medication errors reported to the MERS in Malaysia.
• To identify error-prone environments and contributing factors within the Malaysian healthcare system.
• To inform the development of targeted interventions for reducing medication errors.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 17,357 medication error reports submitted to MERS between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2012.
• Descriptive statistical analysis was employed to characterize the reported medication errors.

Main Results:

• The majority of reported errors originated from public-funded hospitals.
• Near misses constituted 86.3% of all reported errors, with 98.1% having no harmful effects on patients.
• Prescribing errors accounted for 76.1% of all MEs, with incorrect dosage or strength (30.75%) being the most frequent type. Cardiovascular drugs were most commonly involved (25.4%).

Conclusions:

• The MERS database provides valuable insights into medication error characteristics in Malaysia.
• Low reporting rates from non-government hospitals and non-pharmacists warrant further investigation.
• Strengthening MERS promotion and implementing targeted preventive measures, particularly focusing on improving prescribing competency, are recommended.