Implementation of strategies to reduce medication separation errors in a tertiary public hospital in Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To implement and evaluate strategies aimed at reducing errors in the medication dispensing process, with the goal of enhancing safety and quality of care for hospitalized patients. Method: Prospective and transversal study carried out at the Individualized Dose Service Center of the Pharmacy Division of the Central Institute of the Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo, from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023. The approach involved identifying the most recurrent dispensing errors, conducting detailed analysis, and implementing process improvements to minimize these errors Results: The most frequent errors observed included medication mix-ups, incorrect dosages, and incorrect pharmaceutical forms. Implementation of strategies led to a significant reduction in dispensing errors: there was a 60.9% decrease in specific error types targeted by interventions and an overall reduction of 60.3% in all types of dispensing errors. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the adopted strategies and highlight their positive impact on process enhancement. Conclusion: Data analysis confirms the efficacy of the interventions, underscoring the importance of a strategic approach based on studying identified errors and their potential causes. Effective communication and staff participation are crucial for the continuous improvement of outcomes achieved. In addition to enhancing patient safety, the implemented measures significantly contribute to resource optimization and operational process improvement. This study not only mitigates risks associated with medication administration but also enhances the quality of services provided, ensuring safer and more efficient care for hospitalized patients.