Abstract
BackgroundDispensing errors, known to result in significant patient harm, are preventable if their nature is known and recognized. However, there is a scarcity of such data on dispensing errors particularly in resource poor settings, where healthcare is provided free-of-charge. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the types, and prevalence of dispensing errors in a selected group of hospitals in Sri Lanka.MethodsA prospective, cross sectional, multi-center study on dispensing errors was conducted, in a single tertiary care, and two secondary care hospitals, in a cohort of 420 patients attending medical, surgical, diabetic and pediatric clinics. The patients were selected according to the population size, through consecutive sampling. The prescription audit was conducted in terms of dispensing errors which were categorized as i) content, ii) labelling, iii) documentation, iv) concomitant, and v) other errors based on in-house developed definitions.ResultsA total of 420 prescriptions (1849 medicines) were analyzed (Hospital-I, 248 prescriptions-1010 medicines; Hospital-II, 84 prescriptions-400 medicines; Hospital-III, 88 prescriptions-439 medicines), and a cumulative total of 16,689 dispensing errors (at least one dispensing error in a prescription) were detected. Labelling errors were the most frequent dispensing error (63.1%; N = 10,523; Mostly missing information on the dispensing label), followed by concomitant prescribing and dispensing errors (20.5%; N = 3425; Missing prescribing information overlooked by the pharmacist), documentation errors (10.6%; N = 1772 Missing identification of pharmacist on dispensing label), clinically significant medication interactions overlooked by pharmacists (0.5%; N = 82), content errors (4.9%; N = 812; Discrepancies between medication dispensed and prescription order), medications dispensed in unsuitable packaging (0.4%; N = 74), and lastly medication dispensed to the wrong patient (0.01%; N = 1).ConclusionsDispensing errors are frequent in Sri Lankan hospitals which operate with limited resources and provide free healthcare to all citizenry. Over one half of the errors were labeling errors with minimal content errors. Awareness on common types of dispensing errors and emphasis on detecting them could improve medication safety in Sri Lankan hospitals.
Highlights
Dispensing errors, known to result in significant patient harm, are preventable if their nature is known and recognized
Amongst the 1849 medications, labelling errors (N = 10,523), concomitant prescribing and dispensing errors (N = 3507), documentation errors (N = 1772), content errors (N = 812), medications dispensed in unsuitable packaging (N = 74), and one case of medication dispensed to the wrong patient were identified
This study was on dispensing errors conducted in three State hospitals in Sri Lanka using explicit definitions and methodology to grasp all aspects of dispensing errors
Summary
Dispensing errors, known to result in significant patient harm, are preventable if their nature is known and recognized. Once a disease diagnosis is made therapeutic intervention is the frequent norm, which entails appropriate drug prescribing, dispensing and administration of medications to achieve the desired outcomes. During this medication process, unintentional errors which are harmful or life-threatening to patients may occur, and these are termed medication errors. There are accepted standards which should be maintained in each dispensing step to prevent errors [6]. These standards vary depending on the jurisdiction, where the process may either be automated, semi-automated or manually performed. It is a legal requirement for dispensing to be performed under the supervision of a registered pharmacist either with or without the involvement of dispensers or automation [7,8,9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
