A review of medication administration errors reported in a large psychiatric hospital in the United kingdom.
A retrospective analysis of reports of medication administration errors over a period of three and a half years was carried out in a UK psychiatric hospital. A total of 112 errors and "near misses" were studied. The reporting rate increased over time. Psychotropic, intramuscular, and as-needed medications were overrepresented in the error reports. Fifteen percent of the errors had the potential to cause moderate or severe harm to patients. The two most common factors cited by nurses as contributing to error causation were a busy, noisy environment and personal factors, such as feeling tired or unsupported. Physicians were cited as having contributed to some errors.
Haw
Camilla Malyn
CM
Research Department of St. Andrew's Hospital, Billing Road, Northampton NN1 5DG, United Kingdom. chaw@standrew.co.uk
Dickens
Geoff
G
Stubbs
Jean
J
D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D006113:United Kingdom