When good intentions go wrong: medication errors associated with adverse events in veterinary practice

Medication safety is a central component of patient safety. Although some studies on medication errors have been conducted in veterinary medicine, data on the prevalence and severity of errors remain scarce. This study investigated veterinary medication errors using Finnish authorative adverse event data about claimed medical malpractice. The study comprised a retrospective quantitative document analysis of 256 claims cases reviewed by the Assessment Board for Damages in Veterinary Practice between 2014 and 2023.

A total of 87 cases met the inclusion criteria, in which 148 medication errors were identified. Medication errors occurred most frequently in dogs (n = 57/148, 65.5%) and horses (n = 12/148, 13.8%). The most common error type was omission of medication administration (n = 25/148, 16.9%). Fatal outcomes occurred in 21.8% of cases (n = 19/87), and an equal proportion (n = 19/87, 21.8%) involved severe adverse events resulting in injury or other life-threatening conditions. In total, 223 medications were involved, most commonly systemic antibacterials (n = 33/223, 14.8%), anti-inflammatory medications (n = 32/223, 14.3%), and anesthetics (n = 19/223, 8.5%). The oral route of administration was most frequent (n = 73/223, 32.7%). Most medication errors occurred during the decision-making phase (n = 85/148, 57.4%), and errors occurred most commonly in veterinary clinics and animal hospitals.

Targeted measures to strengthen the decision‑making phase of veterinary medication process are warranted. The most frequent medication groups associated with errors were NSAIDs, systemic antibacterial agents, and sedative and anesthetic medications. Further research is needed to better identify and prevent medication errors and to support the development of effective risk management strategies in veterinary medicine.