Prescription Error
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Abstract
Objective: This research study aimed to investigate prescription errors and their intervention outcomes at Zewditu Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the year 2023. The study assessed the prevalence of prescription errors, identified contributing factors, evaluated the effectiveness of medication safety interventions, and examined the impact of adverse drug events on patient outcomes and healthcare costs.
Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed, and data were collected from the hospital's prescription files. Prescription errors were classified into various categories, and the frequency and proportion of errors were calculated. The study also evaluated different medication safety interventions' effectiveness in reducing prescription errors and assessed healthcare professionals' adherence to medication safety protocols. Additionally, the study conducted a cost analysis of adverse drug events to assess their financial implications.
Results: The study revealed a prescription error rate of 25.1%, with wrong dosage, drug omission, drug-drug interactions, and illegible prescriptions being the most common error categories. Adverse drug events resulting from prescription errors affected 12.2% of patients, leading to patient harm and increased healthcare utilization. The electronic prescribing system emerged as the most effective intervention, reducing prescription errors by 60.1%. High adherence rates were observed for double-checking high-risk medications and conducting medication safety huddles. However, there was room for improvement in implementing barcoding technology and tall man lettering.
Conclusion: Prescription errors and adverse drug events pose significant challenges to medication safety at Zewditu Memorial Hospital. Implementing electronic prescribing systems and enhancing medication reconciliation processes can significantly reduce prescription errors and improve patient outcomes. Furthermore, fostering a culture of safety, promoting interprofessional collaboration, and investing in education and training programs are essential to enhance medication safety practices. Continuous quality improvement initiatives and regular audits should be conducted to address medication safety challenges and support a culture of learning from errors. Policymakers should be engaged to support medication safety initiatives, and multi-center studies are recommended to enhance generalizability.
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