The incidence and nature of prescribing and medication administration errors in paediatric inpatients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence and nature of prescribing and medication administration errors in paediatric inpatients.


METHODS
Prospective review of drug charts to identify prescribing errors and prospective observation of nurses preparing and administering drugs to identify medication administration errors. In addition, incident reports were collected for each ward studied.


METHODS
Paediatric patients admitted to hospitals and nurses administering medications to these patients.


METHODS
11 wards (prescribing errors) and 10 wards (medication administration errors) across five hospitals (one specialist children's teaching hospital, one nonteaching hospital and three teaching hospitals) in the London area (UK).


METHODS
Number, types and incidence of prescribing and medication administration errors, using practitioner-based definitions.


RESULTS
391 prescribing errors were identified, giving an overall prescribing error rate of 13.2% of medication orders (95% CI 12.0 to 14.5). There was great variation in prescribing error rates between wards. Incomplete prescriptions were the most common type of prescribing error, and dosing errors the third most common. 429 medication administration errors were identified; giving an overall incidence of 19.1% (95% CI 17.5% to 20.7%) erroneous administrations. Errors in drug preparation were the most common, followed by incorrect rates of intravenous administration.


CONCLUSIONS
Prescribing and medication administration errors are not uncommon in paediatrics, partly as a result of the extra challenges in prescribing and administering medication to this patient group. The causes and extent of these errors need to be explored locally and improvement strategies pursued.
Department of Practice and Policy, The School of Pharmacy, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK. m.ghaleb@herts.ac.uk
Maisoon Abdullah
MA
Ghaleb
Nick
N
Barber
Bryony Dean
BD
Franklin
Ian Chi Kei
IC
Wong
D002648:Child; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D011446:Prospective Studies
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations