Medication errors in hospitalised patients.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacovigilance
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Quality Improvement

Background:

• Medication errors are a significant concern in healthcare settings.
• Limited recent data exists on medication errors within Norwegian hospitals.
• Establishing baseline data is crucial for improving patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze medication errors reported at St. Olav's Hospital between 2015-2017.
• To compare current medication error trends with data from 2002-2006.
• To identify common types, causes, and reporting patterns of medication errors.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of an electronic adverse event reporting database.
• Analysis of 1604 medication errors from 1587 reports.
• Comparison with a previous study period (2002-2006).

Main Results:

• Dosing errors constituted the majority (67%) of medication errors.
• Most errors were of minor or insignificant severity.
• Nurses reported 79% of errors, with inattention and high workload cited as key causes.

Conclusions:

• The number of reported medication errors is increasing, though underreporting remains a concern.
• The types and causes of medication errors are consistent with previous findings.
• Addressing well-known causes like inattention and workload is critical for prevention.