Factors contributing to non-reporting of medication errors

Abstract

Introduction: Medication errors are the most common adverse drug events in hospitals, which are easily preventable. Therefore, reporting on their occurrence is one of the critical issues of the entire healthcare system. The objective of this study is to determine the factors that contribute to the non-reporting of medication errors. Methods: Cross-sectional study in five healthcare institutions in Vojvodina. Results: The most common reason for not reporting medication errors is that managers emphasize the individual without looking for a possible cause in the system (n = 583, 61%). As a reason for not reporting errors, slightly less than half of the respondents state the following: if they make a mistake, patients will develop a negative attitude towards nurses, that the mistake is not clearly defined, and the obligation to fill in the reporting forms is not presented to all employees. Conclusion: In healthcare institutions, the readiness of the management to implement a reporting system with clearly defined adverse events and professional errors is necessary. Healthcare workers should report without fear of punishment and condemnation of others. Reporting only makes sense if a thorough professional analysis is conducted at the level of the management, based on which feedback can be given, and proposals for improving patient safety can be defined.

Keywords

• Medication errors
• Adverse event reporting
• Error reporting
• Patient safety