Medication Errors in Saudi Arabian Hospital Settings: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality and safety
• Clinical pharmacy practice
• Patient safety research

Background:

• Medication errors pose a significant threat to patient safety, leading to adverse drug events (ADEs), increased morbidity, mortality, and prolonged hospital stays.
• Identifying prevalent medication errors and their root causes in Saudi hospitals is essential for developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and identify common medication errors in Saudi hospitals.
• To determine the contributing factors associated with these errors.
• To outline effective strategies for the prevention of medication errors.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA-P guidelines, focusing on studies published after 2019.
• Inclusion criteria specified peer-reviewed English articles on medication errors in Saudi hospitals.
• Data were synthesized through narrative and descriptive analyses.

Main Results:

• Twenty-eight studies were included in the final analysis.
• Wrong dose and improper dose errors were frequently reported.
• Prescribing errors were consistently high, and omission errors, though less frequent, were also significant.

Conclusions:

• Comprehensive and proactive strategies are vital for medication error prevention.
• Integrating evidence-based interventions and fostering a robust safety culture are key.
• Continuous monitoring and evaluation of interventions are necessary to enhance patient outcomes.