title: Medication safety strategies in hospitals--a systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medication safety is an essential component of patient safety in health care delivery. Providing strategies to effectively prevent medication errors and adverse drug events in hospitals has gained international recognition.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper was to review systematically the research literature on the various interventions for providing medication safety in hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight healthcare databases were searched for full research articles written in English. Reference lists of included studies were also searched. Research studies involving delivery of interventions in hospitals with the aim of preventing or reducing medication errors and adverse drug events were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-two studies were selected. Most of the studies were before and after designs without comparative control groups. Forty studies identified interventions contributing to the prevention and reduction of medication errors. Six broad types of interventions were identified: computerized physician order entry with or without clinical decision support systems, automation, computer assisted, barcode technology, pharmacist role, training and system designs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Though studies have provided evidence for individual interventions, there are concerns about the extent of their effectiveness. This has implications for policy makers and clinicians to adopt multifaceted approach in providing medication safety in their hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Social Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Franklin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Acheampong
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Social Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: Berko Panyin
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Anto
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
authors.forename: George Asumeng
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Koffuor
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation; D020000:Decision Support Systems, Clinical / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems / Q000458:organization & administration; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010355:Patient Identification Systems / Q000458:organization & administration; D061214:Patient Safety; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D024382:Professional Role
keywords: Medication errors; adverse drug events; drug interventions; medication safety