[Drug circuit in Lebanese hospitals].
BACKGROUND
Drug errors constitute a public health problem. The objective of our study was to describe drug circuit essential steps in the Lebanese hospitals, starting at prescription to administration, in comparison with Lebanese accreditation standards. We also evaluated technical drug errors.


METHODS
A cross sectional study of all hospitals in Beirut and Mount Lebanon was carried out, where a pharmacist and a nurse per hospital answered anonymous standardized questionnaires.


RESULTS
We found the drug circuit suffered from gaps in all 59 hospitals that were visited: doctors should increase efforts to clarify prescriptions and furnish necessary information for nurses, pharmacists better apply accreditation standards, and nurses verify and re-verify treatments before administration.


CONCLUSIONS
Regulatory laws are necessary for all involved actors for best responding to the responsibility in question, that is patient security.
Salameh
P
P
Faculté de Santé-Publique, université libanaise, section II, Fanar, Lebanon. pascalesalameh@yahoo.com
Najjar Aad
M
M
Semaan
M
M
El Hawzi
R
R
Bechara
M
M
El Kadi
B
B
Bou Tanios
L
L
D000068:Accreditation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon; D008508:Medication Errors; D008510:Medication Systems, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires