title: Medicine administration errors and their severity in secondary care older persons' ward: a multi-centre observational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the severity of medicine administration errors to older patients.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Severity of medicine administration errors has been determined in a variety of settings but not in care-of-older-person wards, which this study aims to do.
  
  
  METHODS
  Undisguised observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two nurses were observed administering oral medicines to 625 patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected on the preparation and administration of oral medicines. Thirty-five cases of error were selected and analysed for their severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the 65 drug rounds observed 2129 potential drug administrations were made to 625 patients, of which 817 doses (38.4%) were given incorrectly (95% CI = 36.3-40.4). The overall mean harm score of the 35 incidents analysed was 4.1 (range 1.1-8.6, SD 1.8) on a scale of 0-10.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The number and severity of MAEs observed is high compared with previous studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need to decrease the number and severity of MAEs, by increasing nurse awareness and error reporting.
authors: Department of Dermatology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Norfolk, UK. j.kelly@uea.ac.uk
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Kelly
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Wright
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005851:Geriatric Nursing; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors