Medication errors remain a significant challenge in clinical settings, affecting patient safety and treatment outcomes across healthcare systems. These errors can occur at any stage of medication use—from prescribing and transcribing to dispensing and administration—and are often preventable with systematic checks and adherence to standard protocols.
Types of Medication Errors Incomplete prescription Omission Unauthorized drug prescription Wrong dose, preparation, or timing Administration errors (wrong route or rate of administration) Monitoring errors (failure to assess liver/renal function, allergic reactions, or drug interactions) Compliance errors Causes of Medication Errors Figure 1 : Causes of Medication Errors Risk Factors for Medication Errors Figure 2 : Risk Factors for Medication Errors WHO Guidelines for Safer Prescribing The World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined…
