title: Perceptions and Attitudes towards Medication Error Reporting in Primary Care Clinics: A Qualitative Study in Malaysia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore and understand participants' perceptions and attitudes towards the reporting of medication errors (MEs).
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative study using in-depth interviews of 31 healthcare practitioners from nine publicly funded, primary care clinics in three states in peninsular Malaysia was conducted for this study. The participants included family medicine specialists, doctors, pharmacists, pharmacist assistants, nurses and assistant medical officers. The interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Analysis of the data was guided by the framework approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six themes and 28 codes were identified. Despite the availability of a reporting system, most of the participants agreed that MEs were underreported. The nature of the error plays an important role in determining the reporting. The reporting system, organisational factors, provider factors, reporter's burden and benefit of reporting also were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthcare practitioners in primary care clinics understood the importance of reporting MEs to improve patient safety. Their perceptions and attitudes towards reporting of MEs were influenced by many factors which affect the decision-making process of whether or not to report. Although the process is complex, it primarily is determined by the severity of the outcome of the errors. The participants voluntarily report the errors if they are familiar with the reporting system, what error to report, when to report and what form to use.
authors.affiliation: Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia.|Institute for Health Systems Research, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Samsiah
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Almadinah Almunawwarah, KSA.
authors.forename: Noordin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Othman
authors.affiliation: Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Shazia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jamshed
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohamed Azmi
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hassali
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology; D061214:Patient Safety; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000523:psychology; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D059017:Primary Care Nursing; D011320:Primary Health Care