Avoid Medication Errors Research Articles

Enhancing safe medication use in home care: insights from informal caregivers.

To investigate the factors influencing medication errors made by informal caregivers while providing care at home. A cross-sectional study based on an online survey, which included both structured and open-ended questions, was conducted in Spain. The survey comprised 49 questions to collect self-reported avoidable medication errors made by caregivers at home. A total of 685 caregivers participated in the survey, with 346 considered qualified (having received >20 h of training). On average, 13.5 (SD 38.2, 95% CI 10.5-16.5) errors per caregiver per year were self-reported. Errors were more prevalent among non-qualified caregivers, males, direct relatives of the care recipient, those with external occupations, or those who used external aids. Errors made by informal caregivers occur more frequently than expected, and recognizing these errors remains a challenge. Training is essential for creating safer care environments by increasing awareness of error sources and the risks associated with medication. Recipients' direct relatives should receive appropriate training, considering differences between male and female caregivers. Associations and companies within the care economy sector should prioritize the creation of safer home care environments as a key objective.

Use of potentially inappropriate medication for elderly patients in tertiary care hospital of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background and objectivesThe elderly population is affected by chronic diseases and lifelong medication. The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Beers Criteria is a comprehensive approach to medication usage in the older population to reduce potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use. The purpose of this study was to assess the usage of PIMs in elderly patients upon discharge from tertiary care hospital settings in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, using the AGS Beers Criteria 2019. MethodsThe data was obtained from the medical records of 1237 patients (>65 years) who were discharged from medical or surgical wards at two hospitals affiliated with King Abdulaziz Medical City. The data was analyzed to determine the prevalence of PIM prescription, and the proportional odds of the independent factors influencing outcomes were estimated using ordinal regression analysis for criteria 1 and 2, while Binary regression analysis was conducted for criterion 3. ResultsThere were approximately equal numbers of male and female participants in our study (male: 50.8 % vs. female: 49.2 %). One-third of the patients were above the age of 80 years, with 41 % being between the ages of 70 and 80 years. Moreover, almost 70 % of the samples had chronic illnesses. The overall prevalence of PIMs was 29.2 %, with 11 % of PIMs to be avoided in elderly patients and 17 % to be used with caution in the elderly, while disease-specific PIMs were identified in 1.2 % of the patients. The most common PIM class was proton pump inhibitors (44.41 %), and patients discharged from the surgical unit were more likely to be prescribed PIMs. Proton pump inhibitors (44.41 %) were the most inappropriately prescribed drug class, and patients discharged from the surgical unit were more likely to be prescribed PIMs. ConclusionThe study noticed that male gender, the presence of multiple diseases, and obesity are associated with more than one PIM prescription. There is a need to streamline the surgical department’s prescription procedure to eliminate prescription disparities. Prescription monitoring is recommended to avoid medication errors, particularly in patients who are taking multiple medications.

Exploring the Roles of Nurses in Medication Reconciliation for Older Adults at Hospital Discharge: A Narrative Approach.

Medication reconciliation (MR) is the process of comparing a patient's medication orders to all of the medications that the patient has been taking in order to identify and resolve medication discrepancies. It is an effective means of risk management to avoid medication errors (eg, omissions, duplication, dosage errors, or drug interactions). Some guidelines explicitly state that MR is a pharmacist-led transition of care; however, there is a shortage of qualified pharmacists to meet the increasing clinical needs, and clinical nurses' roles have not been clearly described. This paper aimed to enable nurses to gain confidence in contributing to MR at discharge and to make the industry aware of the potential risks if nurses do not actively intervene in this area. A narrative approach was used to introduce experiences in identifying discrepancies and medication errors through MR at discharge in a geriatric ward of an academic medical center hospital in China. The nurses' main roles in MR involve chasing, checking, and education. Clinical nurses, an untapped hospital resource, can actively engage in MR at discharge if they receive effective training and motivation. Multidisciplinary collaboration at discharge allowed many discrepancies to be reconciled before harming older patients. It is worth conducting further research in MR when discharging older adults, such as the cost-effectiveness of nurses' efforts, the value of electronic tools and the impact of MR-targeted education and training for nursing students and nursing staff.

Economic evaluation of clinical pharmacy service using integrated health system in tertiary care hospital

ABSTRACT Background Clinical pharmacy services are the specialized practices of pharmacists to provide pharmaceutical care. All these activities are documented as pharmacist interventions to avoid medication errors which occur during prescribing, dispensing, and administration. The purpose of this study is to conduct an economic analysis of the pharmacist interventions using integrated health system. Research design and methods A retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital. Pharmacist interventions were analyzed by an independent pharmacist. Cost-saving and cost avoidance analyses were carried out for drug-related interventions. Economic analysis was performed and tabulated both in PKR and USD. Results Out of 1330 interventions, 1250 (95%) interventions were accepted and changed the prescription upon the physician-pharmacist consultation while 71 (5%) were not accepted. Interventions related to prescribing and duplication errors were the highest of all (30 and 29% respectively). Pharmacist interventions were recorded with a 95% acceptance rate. Cost analysis showed that pharmacist interventions saved around 105,115.88 US dollars. Conclusion Clinical pharmacy services provided by integrated health system are a cost saving program. The cost saved per intervention for our study is around USD 37 which is more than another similar study which quoted USD 30.35 per intervention.

Design and Development of Electronic Moulage of Brachial Plexus Muscles to Enhance the Learning of Upper Limb Anatomy: An Interventional Study

Background: Anatomy embraces various fields and is regarded as the foundation of medical sciences due to its broad clinical applications, particularly in surgery. However, teaching this subject, particularly in practical units, poses challenges, and insufficient anatomical knowledge and errors in anatomy-related decisions by physicians can lead to avoidable deaths and medical errors. This study aimed to design and develop an electronic moulage (EM) for teaching upper limb anatomy, specifically focusing on the muscles and brachial plexus (BP). Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design. Electronic moulage has been implemented in a manner that allows independent structures within a compartment to be taught without the presence of a teacher or anatomical atlases and enables learners to comprehend the anatomical features and relationships of structures in both combined and isolated modes, even without prior knowledge of anatomical theory specific to that compartment. The EM incorporates a skeletal compartment system and a BP component, utilizing audio and visual systems to deliver a comprehensive educational experience. The effectiveness of the EM was evaluated by experts in anatomy and medical science students, comparing it to other teaching methods. Four groups of undergraduate medical radiology students with no prior instruction in upper limb anatomy participated in the study. Each group was assigned to a different training method, including lecture-based education, digital-based education with a simulator, cadaver-based education, and EM-based education. Results: After assessing the results using educational and motivational indicators, it was determined that the EM demonstrated innovative potential and could enhance motivation and the quality of anatomy education. Comparing the post-test scores of the EM-based education group to the other groups revealed significantly higher scores in the EM-based group. This finding indicates that the EM has the potential to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of anatomy education, addressing the limitations of other teaching methods. Conclusions: The developed EM presents a promising solution for enhancing anatomy education, particularly in the context of upper limb anatomy. The innovative features of EM and its ability to improve motivation and learning outcomes make it a valuable tool for teaching this subject matter.

Avoiding Medication Errors Caused by Nurses in the Emergency Department in Saudi Arabia

Background: Medication errors are pervasive in healthcare, especially in emergency rooms, with diverse causes that warrant critical investigation due to the potential repercussions for both patients and healthcare providers. Aim: This research explores nurses' perspectives on medication errors in the emergency department. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design involved 96 nurses, using a questionnaire that covered demographic data and nurses' perceptions of error causes, reporting practices, and barriers. Results: The average age of the nurses who participated in this study was 27.7 ± 3.4 years, with 7.3 ± 1.9 years of experience. Most nurses (87.2%) were women. The majority held bachelor's degrees (88.3%) and worked fixed shifts (54.2%), and 46.8% reported medication errors in the past year, primarily occurring once (69.04%). They reported no complications in 97.5% of errors. Conclusion: Common error types included infusion rate errors, double dosing, and medication omission. Although errors are widespread, adverse consequences are infrequent, mainly occurring during prescribing or administration stages. Encouraging disclosure by nurses and fostering positive responses from hospital management are crucial for enhancing patient safety. Awareness of recovery mechanisms informs potential interventions to minimise overall safety. Key words: Medication Errors, Emergency Department, Nurses, Understanding, Perception

EVALUATION AND DESIGN OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT IN COMPLETENESS OF RECIPE SCREENING IN AR-RASYID ISLAMIC HOSPITAL PALEMBANG

Errors in prescribing and administering drugs are things that often occur in medicine, so in an effort to improve pharmaceutical performance, an evaluation and development of a SIM is carried out to support pharmaceutical services in hospitals. The aim of this research is to evaluate the Management Information System needs at RSI Ar-Rasyid Palembang and continue with the development of a design model. This research is descriptive research conducted through direct observation and documentation. The development of this research system uses a prototype method starting from needs analysis, system design and implementation of the EUCS (End User Computing Satisfaction) framework system, creating a system design using context diagrams, Data Flow Diagrams and Entity Relationship Data, the data analysis method used is qualitative analysis. The results of the research from direct observation on the completeness of the IFRS SIM show that the SIM at RSI Ar-Rasyid in pharmaceutical screening has been fulfilled, but in administrative screening and clinical screening it has not been fulfilled and the results of evaluation using a questionnaire distributed to pharmaceutical installation staff show an average the answer to each statement variable is satisfied. In making a draft design, there are suggestions that include clinical screening of prescriptions, it is hoped that this will help pharmacy installation staff in providing services to avoid medication errors. Based on system design, input design and output design, the patient prescription screening management information system design meets the criteria so it is ready to be implemented into the system.

Investigation of Nurses' Wellbeing towards Errors in Clinical Practice-The Role of Resilience.

Background and Objectives: The fatigue, stress, and burnout of nurses lead to them frequently making mistakes, which have a negative impact not only on the safety of the patients but also on their psychology. The ability to bounce back from mistakes is crucial for nurses. Nursing staff members' physical and mental health, particularly their depression, is far from ideal, and this ill health is directly correlated with the frequency of self-reported medical errors. The nurses' mental and physical health are also positively correlated with their perception of wellness support at work. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the status of nurses' mental and physical health regarding clinical errors and the impact of resilience on coping with these situations. Materials and Methods: A total of 364 healthcare professionals participated in this research; 87.5% of them were females and 12.5% of them were males. Most of the participants were 22-35 years old. The median number of years of employment was nine. Clinical nurses anonymously and voluntarily completed a special structured questionnaire that included questions from different validated tools in order to assess their state of physical and mental wellbeing after events of stress and errors made during their practice. Results: In total, 49.4% of the nurses had made an error on their own, and 73.2% had witnessed an error that someone else had made. At the time of the error, 29.9% of the participants were in charge of more than 20 patients, while 28.9% were responsible for a maximum of three patients. Participants who were 36-45 years old had more resilience (p = 0.049) and experienced fewer negative emotions than participants who were 22-35 years old. The participants who mentioned more positive feelings according to their mental state had greater resilience (p > 0.001). Conclusions: Errors were likely to happen during clinical practice due to nurses' negative experiences. The level of resilience among the nursing population was found to play a very important role not only in making mistakes but also in coping with errors during their daily routine. Wellness and prevention must be given top priority in all healthcare systems across the country in order to promote nurses' optimal health and wellbeing, raise the standard of care, and reduce the likelihood of expensive, avoidable medical errors. Healthcare administrations should promote prevention programs for stress occurrence in order to support nurses' wellbeing maintenance.

AVOIDable medical errors in invasive procedures: Facts on the ground - An NHS staff survey.

Never Events represent a serious problem with a high burden on healthcare providers' facilities. Despite introducing various safety checklists and precautions, many Never Events are reported yearly. This survey aims to assess awareness and compliance with the safety standards and obtain recommendations from the National Health Service (NHS) staff on preventative measures. An online survey of 45 questions has been conducted directed at NHS staff involved in invasive procedures. The questions were designed to assess the level of awareness, training and education delivered to the staff on patient safety. Moreover, we designed a set of focused questions to assess compliance with the National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs) guidance. Open questions were added to encourage the staff to give practical recommendations on tackling and preventing these incidents. Invitations were sent through social media, and the survey was kept live from 20/11/2021 to 23/04/2022. Out of 700 invitations sent, 75 completed the survey (10.7%). 96% and 94.67% were familiar with the terms Never Events and near-miss, respectively. However, 52% and 36.49% were aware of National and Local Safety Standards for Invasive procedures (NatSSIPs-LocSSIPs), respectively. 28 (37.33%) had training on preventing medical errors. 48 (64%) believe that training on safety checklists should be delivered during undergraduate education. Fourteen (18.67%) had experiences when the checklists failed to prevent medical errors. 53 (70.67%) have seen the operating list or the consent forms containing abbreviations. Thirty-three (44%) have a failed counting reconciliation algorithm. NHS staff emphasised the importance of multi-level checks, utilisation of specific checklists, patient involvement in the safety checks, adequate staffing, avoidance of staff change in the middle of a procedure and change of list order, and investment in training and education on patient safety. This survey showed a low awareness of some of the principal patient safety aspects and poor compliance with NatSSIPs recommendations. Checklists fail on some occasions to prevent medical errors. Process redesign creating a safe environment, and enhancing a safety culture could be the key. The study presented the recommendations of the staff on preventative measures.

Penggunaan Aplikasi Seluler dalam Pemberian Medikasi pada Anak untuk Mencegah Kesalahan Pemberian Medikasi (Medication Error)

The purpose of this study was to analyze the use of mobile applications to assist in administering the medication needed to children to avoid the risk of errors in medication administration (medication errors). This research method uses a literature study by using a review of research journal articles that were searched through online database searches: Proquest, SAGE Journal, Clinical Key Nursing, PubMed, EBSCO, and Scopus, which were published in 2018-2022, with the keywords mobile application, drug medication, pediatric and medication error. The study's results prove that mobile applications in medication calculations can be used as an intervention to prevent medication errors in children. In conclusion, using mobile applications to administer medication to avoid medication errors in children is very useful.
 
 Keywords: Cellular Application, Dosage Calculation, Children, and Medication Error

PKL Student Knowledge of Common Abbreviations in Recipes at Mandiri YPPM Pharmacy Academy

Medication error is a medical error that can lead to failure in the treatment process. Medication errors can be caused by various factors. One of the factors that influence medication errors is errors in reading prescriptions. One of the important components contained in a recipe is a common abbreviation. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct research to determine the level of knowledge of PKL students at the YPPM Mandiri Pharmacy Academy on common abbreviations in recipes. This research method is through a descriptive approach using a questionnaire as an instrument. The results of this study indicate that the knowledge of PKL students at the YPPM Mandiri Pharmacy Academy categorized as good because 12 questions achieved a score above 70%. However, it is still necessary to increase knowledge so that the value reaches 100% so as to avoid medication errors in the future

Critical evaluation of clinical and pharmaceutical information provided with medicinal package inserts in South India

Background: Package inserts (PIs) are source of drug information provided for the effective use of marketed drugs by prescribers and patients. Aims and Objectives: This study was done to evaluate the completeness of information provided in medicinal PIs. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was done using 100 PIs collected from the drug store in a tertiary care hospital located in South Kerala for 2 months. They were evaluated in terms of completeness as per the criteria mentioned in Schedule D of the Drug Cosmetic Act 1945 and graded into Grade A (>20), Grade B (10–20), and Grade C (<20) based on the degree of completeness and scores obtained. Data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel, expressed in percentages and whole numbers. Results: Out of 100 PIs, majority (23%) were antimicrobials, followed by bronchodilators (12%). Most of them (86%) were oral preparations, followed by injectable (12%) and topical (2%). On evaluation, 19% of them belonged to Grade A, 78% to Grade B and 3% to Grade C. There were deficiencies in clinical data regarding: Last update (37%), the effect of the ability to drive/use machines (42%), use in pediatric and geriatric information (46%). 49% of them lack information on shelf life. 19% of PIs were from multinational companies and 81% were from Indian companies. Conclusion: As PIs are incomplete as per regulatory guidelines, it is essential to improve the standards of preparing and monitoring PIs for avoiding medication errors.

MEDICATION ERRORS: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY IN MOHAMED V MILITARY TEACHING HOSPITAL, RABAT, MOROCCO

Medication errors (MEs) are preventable events that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm. Annually 98,000 patients die because of avoidable MEs, and it is considered a financial burden on public health organizations. The purpose of our study was to examine the incidence rate, types, and causes of medication errors. We conducted a prospective, descriptive study from 1st November 2018 to 1st March 2019 at Mohammed V Military Teaching Hospital in Morocco. We performed prescriptions analysis for all patients, and the proper corrective measures were taken. We analyzed 19,200 prescriptions during the study period and made 2,152 (11.20%) pharmaceutical interventions (PI). We identified 752 medication errors (34.94%) of the total PIs) in 562 patients, with an incidence rate of 3.91%. The number of medication errors was higher in men than in women. The most frequent medication errors were: drug interaction errors, dosage or concentration errors, and dose errors. Bearing in mind the outcomes of our study, it is crucial to raise awareness among healthcare professionals of the significance of medication errors. Further investigations are required to fully understand and establish measures to reduce the prevalence rate of medication errors.

MEDICATION ERRORS: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY IN MOHAMED V MILITARY TEACHING HOSPITAL, RABAT, MOROCCO

Medication errors (MEs) are preventable events that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm. Annually 98,000 patients die because of avoidable MEs, and it is considered a financial burden on public health organizations. The purpose of our study was to examine the incidence rate, types, and causes of medication errors. We conducted a prospective, descriptive study from 1st November 2018 to 1st March 2019 at Mohammed V Military Teaching Hospital in Morocco. We performed prescriptions analysis for all patients, and the proper corrective measures were taken. We analyzed 19,200 prescriptions during the study period and made 2,152 (11.20%) pharmaceutical interventions (PI). We identified 752 medication errors (34.94%) of the total PIs) in 562 patients, with an incidence rate of 3.91%. The number of medication errors was higher in men than in women. The most frequent medication errors were: drug interaction errors, dosage or concentration errors, and dose errors. Bearing in mind the outcomes of our study, it is crucial to raise awareness among healthcare professionals of the significance of medication errors. Further investigations are required to fully understand and establish measures to reduce the prevalence rate of medication errors.

Answering Hospital Caregivers' Questions at Any Time: Proof-of-Concept Study of an Artificial Intelligence-Based Chatbot in a French Hospital.

BackgroundAccess to accurate information in health care is a key point for caregivers to avoid medication errors, especially with the reorganization of staff and drug circuits during health crises such as the COVID‑19 pandemic. It is, therefore, the role of the hospital pharmacy to answer caregivers’ questions. Some may require the expertise of a pharmacist, some should be answered by pharmacy technicians, but others are simple and redundant, and automated responses may be provided.ObjectiveWe aimed at developing and implementing a chatbot to answer questions from hospital caregivers about drugs and pharmacy organization 24 hours a day and to evaluate this tool.MethodsThe ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation) model was used by a multiprofessional team composed of 3 hospital pharmacists, 2 members of the Innovation and Transformation Department, and the IT service provider. Based on an analysis of the caregivers’ needs about drugs and pharmacy organization, we designed and developed a chatbot. The tool was then evaluated before its implementation into the hospital intranet. Its relevance and conversations with testers were monitored via the IT provider’s back office.ResultsNeeds analysis with 5 hospital pharmacists and 33 caregivers from 5 health services allowed us to identify 7 themes about drugs and pharmacy organization (such as opening hours and specific prescriptions). After a year of chatbot design and development, the test version obtained good evaluation scores: its speed was rated 8.2 out of 10, usability 8.1 out of 10, and appearance 7.5 out of 10. Testers were generally satisfied (70%) and were hoping for the content to be enhanced.ConclusionsThe chatbot seems to be a relevant tool for hospital caregivers, helping them obtain reliable and verified information they need on drugs and pharmacy organization. In the context of significant mobility of nursing staff during the health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the chatbot could be a suitable tool for transmitting relevant information related to drug circuits or specific procedures. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such a tool has been designed for caregivers. Its development further continued by means of tests conducted with other users such as pharmacy technicians and via the integration of additional data before the implementation on the 2 hospital sites.

How to avoid medication errors - and what to do if you make one

How to avoid medication errors - and what to do if you make one

Improving oncology patient medication knowledge through a systematic medication reconciliation process.

354 Background: Patient medication knowledge improves medication adherence. Lack of medication adherence leads to 125,000 deaths per year and $100-$299 billion in cost to the U.S. health care system. An Oncology Advanced Practice Provider (APP) conducted a quality improvement (QI) project to evaluate the effect of an educational review of medications to improve oncology patients’ knowledge regarding medication use. Methods: A QI project consisting of 60 patients seen during their regularly scheduled office visits was conducted. Patients received verbal instructions and written documentation about their medications; prescribed and over-the-counter. Evaluations were conducted and yes/no responses were recorded based on patients’ ability to answer four questions correctly: name of medication, reason for the medication, dosing schedule, and prescriber’s name. This was followed by a second visit using the same process. Results: Participants ranged in age from 42-87 (median = 67); most participants were female (N = 36), Caucasian (N = 37), and retired (N = 31). The total number of medications taken by the participants equaled 174, of which 130 were prescribed and 44 were over the counter medications or supplements. The most common prescribed medications were antiemetics (ondansetron and prochlorperazine) and pain medications (hydrocodone and oxycodone). Other prescribed medications included steroids, antihypertensives, and antiglycemics. The most common over the counter medications were Aspirin, Vitamin D, and multiple vitamins. A total of 612 Medication Reviews were completed. Of these reviews, on Visit I (Initial visit) 274 Educational reviews were required. On Visit II (post educational review) 169 Educational reviews were required. Patients needed 105 fewer educational reviews after the initial educational review. The average time between visits was two weeks. An unexpected finding was the lack of a complete and accurate record of medications taken by the participants as documented in their medical records. Conclusions: An Oncology APP led medication reconciliation process including an educational review showed improved medication knowledge among participants, although more than one review may be needed by some patients. Findings confirm the need for a systematic, comprehensive medication profile in the electronic medical record (EMR) to avoid medication errors in both administration and prescribing. An annual review of medications with patients is critical to their well-being.

Development of a medication literacy assessment instrument (MELIA) for older people receiving home care.

To develop a consensus-based instrument [MELIA] to assess the medication literacy of older home care patients to ultimately optimize medication safety. This study was part of the project 'Study of Medication Safety in Home Care' (doMESTIC), which took place from 2016 to 2020 in Switzerland. The development process for the medication literacy assessment instrument encompassed six steps. First, a scoping literature search was conducted in the Pubmed, CINAHL, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases as 2) a basis for the development of assessment items. This was followed by 3) a cognitive interview with home care patients and 4) the first round of a Delphi process. Then, 5) a focus group interview with home care experts was conducted before 6) the second Delphi round. The project took place between August 2020 and June 2021. With these different steps, perspectives of both patients and various home care and medication safety experts were included in the development of the assessment instrument. A detailed instrument consisting of 20 items as well as a 7-item short version were developed. The short version is intended for efficient preliminary screening to identify patients at high risk for medication management-related problems. Medication literacy in patients 65 years and older receiving professional home care is a key issue in preventing medication errors. A targeted assessment, starting with an efficient short version of MELIA, allows for prioritization of patients for interventions to optimize medication safety while ensuring their independence as much as possible. Systematic assessment of patients' medication literacy helps to provide them with targeted and individual support in their medication management to avoid medication errors and increase patient safety. The development of MELIA is a first step in providing an assessment instrument specifically for the home care setting. Patient participation was an integral part of the instrument development. The initial 23 items were optimized based on cognitive interviews with four home care patients. The next steps of the instrument development were based on feedback of health care professionals-encompassing advance practice nurses, regular nurses, pharmacists and general practitioners-during a two-step Delphi process as well as a focus group discussion.

Sosialisasi Swamedikasi Penatalaksanaan Demam Pada Ibu PKK

Background: Most people take self-medication to treat fever without a medical examination. It has the potential medication errors caused by unfair practices. To avoid medication errors, knowledge of fever self-medication among PKK members in Hamlet Bentakan RW 13, Danguran Village, South Klaten District, Klaten Regency, needed to be increased. Methods: The research methodology was descriptive. Thirty-four (34) respondents took action. Before the counseling activity, a pretest was administered to respondents—counseling used leaflet media. A post-test was done after the counseling and training. The pretest and post-test were carried out using a question sheet containing 20 questions about self-medication, health workers guiding self-medication, fever, fever medicine and the proper use of fever medicine. Increased knowledge was calculated by the percentage increase in the number of respondents at the level of certain knowledge categories after counseling. Results: The respondents' knowledge level was in the good and sufficient categories. The level of knowledge in the good category before the counseling was 79.4% respondents, while after the counseling was 97.1% respondents. There was an increase in the level of knowledge in the good category of respondents by 17.7%. In contrast, 20.6% of respondents had sufficient knowledge before the counseling. Respondents with a sufficient level of knowledge reduced after the counseling because the knowledge increased towards good by 6 respondents (17.7% of respondents). The respondent's level of knowledge increased following counseling compared to their knowledge before counseling. Age, education, and occupation all affect one's level of knowledge. Conclusion: Respondents suggested being more selective in choosing and using drugs and asking for complete information from pharmacists or pharmaceutical technical personnel. This counseling is suggested to be carried out regularly in various other villages to reduce errors in self-medication practices.

How to avoid medication errors

Medication errors in cancer care are higher due to complex and risky drugs and therapies, so nurses need to know how to reduce errors