Drug Calculations in Veterinary Medical Education—Where Are We?

Abstract

Veterinary studies tracking medical errors and their underlying causes are lacking. In human health care, the importance of drug calculation errors in patient safety is well documented. As much as 25% of all medical errors in people are reportedly drug errors, and as much as 14% of those can be attributed to poor drug calculation skills among doctors and nurses. Assessment of the math and analytical skills needed to perform drug calculations accurately is not standardized in veterinary medical education, and there is potential for significant deficit. The purposes of this “Challenges and Issues” article are to briefly discuss the potential impact of poor drug calculation skills on veterinary patients; share one instructor’s experience incorporating drug calculations into a veterinary curriculum; and promote further discussion and research that might yield more insight into the assessment and delivery of drug calculation education in veterinary medicine.