MEDICATION ERRORS AND DEGREE OF PATIENT DAMAGE AT A TEACHING HOSPITAL

Abstract

The objectives in this study were to verify the incidence of medication errors and near misses and the degree of damage to the patient, as well as the association between the degree of damage and sociodemographic and hospitalization characteristics. Descriptive and retrospective study with a quantitative approach, undertaken at a hospital in the interior of the State of São Paulo.The data were collected through the adverse event reporting system and the electronic history between September/2014 and August/2015. In total, 113 error reports were found, mostly related to preparation and administration; a small percentage of near misses was found; the damage was classified: 60 (53.1%) none, 29 (25.7%) mild, 16 (14.1%) moderate and eight (7.1%) severe. More errors were reported at clinical-surgical units, and a relation was found between the severity of the event and intensive care patients. Reporting, measuring and analyzing the event, the degree of damage and relating them with the patient characteristics help the nurse to improve the work process in the prevention and control of medication errors.

Keywords

• Patient safety
• Medication errors
• Quality indicators
• Notification
• Hospitals; teaching