High Prevalence of Medication Errors in a Secondary-level Lithuanian
Hospital: A Prospective Cross-sectional Observational Study
Abstract
Abstract Aim As the population continues to age, the occurrence of
chronic illnesses and comorbidities that often necessitate the use of
polypharmacy has been on the rise. Polypharmacy, among other factors
that tend to coincide with chronic diseases such as obesity, impaired
kidney and liver function, and older age, can increase the risk of
medication errors (MEs). Our study aims to evaluate the prevalence of
MEs in the Internal medicine, Cardiology, and Neurology departments at
the secondary level university hospital. Methods We conducted a
prospective observational study of 145 patients electronic or
paper-based data of inpatient prescriptions and patients’
pharmacokinetic risk factors, such as an impairment of renal and/or
hepatic function, weight, and age. Results All included patients
collectively received 1252 prescribed drugs. The median (Q1; Q3) number
of drugs per patient was 8 (7;10). At least one ME was identified in 133
out of the 145 patients, indicating a significantly higher prevalence
than hypothesized (91.7% vs. 50%; p < 0.001). There was
moderate, positive correlation between the quantity of prescribed drugs
and the number of MEs, meaning that the more drugs are prescribed, the
higher the number of identified MEs (Spearman’s rho = 0.428; p
< 0.001). Conclusion These findings suggest that there is a
need of continuous medication education activity for prescribing
physicians, continuous evaluation of prescription appropriateness to
objectively identify the MEs, and to contribute to more rational patient
treatment.