Epidemiology of Medication Errors in Indian Hospital Settings: A Systematic Literature Review

Medication errors (MEs) are among the most common preventable errors that affect patient care. Despite a growing body of research on MEs in India, no comprehensive systematic literature review (SLR) has been conducted on their epidemiology. This SLR aims to identify and critically assess the incidence rates, frequency, and severity of MEs across various hospitals in India.

This SLR was conducted in compliance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. It included studies (January 2014-April 2025) from electronic databases such as Medline, Cochrane, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. The inclusion criteria focused on studies reporting MEs in hospitalized patients in India. The quality of the studies was assessed using a validated quality appraisal tool.

A total of 40 studies were included in the analysis, wherein 31 studies (77.5%) were rated as moderate, 5 (12.5%) as low, and 4 (10%) as high quality. The median incidence rate of MEs was 34.11% (95% CI: 20.45-54.56) in 10 studies, with rates ranging from 6.11% to 43.60% in ICU patients. Medication error frequency rate was 26.74% (95% CI: 17.69-35.80), reported in 28 studies. Most MEs were less severe; however, 8.9% of MEs required monitoring, 2.2% caused temporary harm, necessitating intervention, and 0.1-1.2% of MEs caused prolonged hospitalization.

The SLR emphasizes the significant challenges MEs pose to patient safety in Indian hospitals. The findings underscore the critical need for targeted interventions to mitigate MEs, particularly in severe categories.

Govil D, Khan RA, Agarwal A, Ghosh P. Epidemiology of Medication Errors in Indian Hospital Settings: A Systematic Literature Review. Indian J Crit Care Med 2025;29(11):954-966.