title: Medication safety practices in hospitals: A national survey in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medication errors in hospitals are a worldwide concern. The World Health Organization has recommended the implementation of basic applications in healthcare systems to improve medication safety, but it is largely unknown whether these recommendations are adhered to by hospitals. We assessed the presence of core medication safety practices in Saudi Arabian hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  We developed and validated a survey to assess medication safety practices in hospitals. Major headings included Look-Alike Sound-Alike (LASA) medications, control of concentrated electrolyte solutions, transitions in care, information technology, drug information and other medication safety practices. Trained pharmacists visited samples of hospitals from all regions of Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-eight hospitals were surveyed. Only 30% of the hospitals had a medication safety committee and 9% of hospitals had a medication safety officer. Only 33% of hospitals had a list of LASA medications and 50% had a list of error-prone abbreviations. Concentrated electrolytes were available in floor stock in 60% of the hospitals. No hospital involved pharmacists in obtaining medication histories and only 37% of the hospitals provided a medication list to the patients at discharge. While 61% of hospitals used a computer system in their pharmacy to enter prescriptions, only 29% of these hospitals required entry of patient's allergies before entering a drug order.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Core practices to improve medication safety were not implemented in many hospitals in Saudi Arabia. In developing countries, an effort must be made at the national level to increase the adoption of such practices.
authors: Medication Safety Research Chair and Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
authors: Hisham
authors: H
authors: Aljadhey
authors: Abdulaziz
authors: A
authors: Alhossan
authors: Khalid
authors: K
authors: Alburikan
authors: Mansour
authors: M
authors: Adam
authors: Michael D
authors: MD
authors: Murray
authors: David W
authors: DW
authors: Bates
keywords: Hospitals; Medication safety; Saudi Arabia
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