Pharmaceutical Dosing Errors at a Pediatric HIV Clinic in Mwanza, Tanzania

Area of Science:

• Pediatric HIV/AIDS Management
• Medication Safety
• Global Health Pharmacy Practice

Background:

• Outpatient medication dosing errors pose a significant risk in pediatric care.
• Accurate dosing is critical for managing chronic conditions like HIV in children.
• Previous research indicates variability in pediatric medication dosing accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the outpatient medication dosing error rate in a pediatric HIV clinic in Mwanza, Tanzania.
• To identify specific patient groups and circumstances associated with higher dosing error risks.
• To inform interventions aimed at improving medication safety for children with HIV.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of outpatient prescriptions for pediatric patients with HIV.
• Calculation of medication dosing error rates per prescription.
• Identification of patient demographics and prescription patterns associated with errors.

Main Results:

• The overall medication dosing error rate was approximately 1 in 34 prescriptions.
• Young children were identified as the highest-risk group for dosing errors.
• Errors were frequently observed at consecutive patient visits, suggesting potential issues with repeated prescription reviews.

Conclusions:

• Significant rates of outpatient medication dosing errors exist in pediatric HIV care in this setting.
• Pediatric-specific factors, including growth-related dose changes and formulation availability, contribute to errors.
• Clinical practices, such as reordering without thorough double-checking, may exacerbate medication errors.