Medication errors in inquiries to the Poison Information Center Erfurt - a systematic analysis

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Public Health
• Medication Safety

Background:

• Poison Information Centers (PICs) provide crucial advice on intoxications.
• Medication errors are a significant cause of intoxication, yet data from PICs are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate medication errors reported to a Poison Information Center.
• To analyze the sources and potential risks associated with medication errors.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of PIC inquiries from 2013-2020.
• Categorization of medication errors by perpetrator (layperson vs. healthcare professional) and setting (medical care vs. home care).
• Evaluation of estimated toxicity risk to assess patient harm.

Main Results:

• Of 152,149 inquiries, 43.5% involved drug exposures, with 19.1% identified as medication errors.
• Laypersons committed 80.1% of medication errors; healthcare professionals committed 19.9%.
• Medication errors by healthcare professionals in medical care facilities were associated with a significantly higher risk of toxicity compared to other settings.

Conclusions:

• Medication errors reported to PICs are predominantly made by laypersons.
• Healthcare professionals in medical care settings represent a higher risk group for medication errors leading to significant patient harm.