[Causes of medication administration errors in elderly people: a systematic review]

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Pharmacology
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Elderly individuals face heightened risks of medication administration errors (MAE).
• Understanding the root causes of MAE is critical for developing effective prevention strategies.
• Existing literature often focuses on institutional settings, potentially overlooking self-administered medication risks.

Approach:

• A systematic literature review adhering to the PRISMA methodology was performed.
• 15 studies were selected from an initial pool of 2,798 articles.
• Identified causes of MAE were categorized into patient-related, drug-related, healthcare professional-related, and organizational/environmental factors.

Key Points:

• A total of 56 distinct causes for MAE were identified.
• The predominant causes were linked to the physical and cognitive impairments of elderly patients.
• A significant gap exists in empirical studies examining MAE causes, particularly for elderly individuals managing their own medications.

Conclusions:

• The current review highlights numerous and varied causes of MAE, with a strong emphasis on patient-specific factors.
• The findings suggest a need for complementary research focusing on medication non-adherence in the elderly population.
• Comprehensive risk factor analysis for MAE in the elderly, especially those self-administering, requires further investigation beyond institutional settings.