Medication Distribution in Hospital: Errors Observed X Errors Perceived

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to compare errors committed in the distribution of medicationsat a hospital pharmacy with those perceived by staff members involved in the distributionprocess. Medications distributed to the medical and surgical wards were analyzed. The drugswere dispensed in individualized doses per patient, separated by administration time in boxes orplastic bags for 24 hours of care and using the carbon copy of the prescription. Nineteen staffmembers involved in the drug-dispensing process were also interviewed. In the observationphase, 1963 drugs dispensed in 259 prescriptions were analyzed, with a total of 61 dispensingerrors (3.2% of the medications). The most frequent errors were omission of the prescribedmedication (23%) and distribution of non-prescribed medication (14.8%). In the interviews, themain errors perceived by the staff were medications dispensed at a concentration other thanthat prescribed (22%) and the distribution of non-prescribed medication or medication differentfrom that prescribed (20%). Differences were found between the most frequent errors observedand those reported by staff members. Nonetheless, the views of the staff proved coherent withthe literature on this issue. Keywords: medication errors, hospital medication system.

Keywords

• medication errors
• hospital medication system