Affiliation:
1. University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff, Wales CF4 4XW
2. Health Psychology Research Unit, School of Psychology, University of Wales College of Cardiff
Abstract
Abstract
Nineteen hospital pharmacies in Britain participated in a study of dispensing errors. All dispensing errors (errors detected outside the department) and a sample of dispensing incidents (errors detected as part of the checking process) were recorded using a standard data collection form over a period of six months. One hundred and seventy-eight errors and 1,500 incidents were analysed. The overall error rate was 18.1/100,000 dispensed items (range 2.9–49.1/100,000). The mean error rate was 11.5/100,000 items in hospitals where all dispensing is checked and 35/100,000 items in hospitals where only items dispensed by non-pharmacists are checked. There were also differences in type between errors and incidents −31.7 per cent of incidents involved incorrect directions on the label compared with 17.4 per cent of errors; 34.2 per cent of incidents involved the wrong drug or drug strength being dispensed compared with 45.5 per cent of errors. One hundred and forty-five different drugs were involved in the 178 errors, with three drugs being involved in six errors each (flucloxacillin, glyceryl trinitrate and frusemide). The results of this study can contribute to the preparation of risk management strategies for dispensing.
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,Health Policy,Pharmaceutical Science,Pharmacy
Reference14 articles.
1. Labelling error hastens changes in dispensing practices;Pharm J,1982
2. Policeman dies after receiving wrong medicine;Pharm J,1982
3. £300,000 paid in damages after dispensing error;Chemist & Druggist,1991
4. Self injection treatment for impotence;Robinson;Br Med J,1989
Cited by
27 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献