Error types with use of medication-related technology: A mixed methods research study

Area of Science:

• Health Information Technology
• Medication Safety
• Pharmacy Practice

Background:

• Health information technology (HIT) integration aims to improve medication safety, quality, and efficiency.
• While HIT can reduce errors, it may also introduce new types of medication errors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate specific medication error types before and after implementing e-prescribing and automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs).
• To understand the impact of these health information technologies on pharmacists' workflow and patient safety.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods design utilizing pharmacist survey data on patient safety issues related to HIT.
• Descriptive analysis of converted error types to characterize those associated with e-prescribing and ADCs.

Main Results:

• E-prescribing eliminated four error types, introduced three new ones, and three persisted.
• Automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) also eliminated four error types, introduced three new ones, and three persisted.

Conclusions:

• Both e-prescribing and ADCs present unique error profiles, with some errors persisting post-implementation.
• Tailored risk reduction strategies for each HIT and safety practice improvements for unaffected errors are necessary.