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Original ArticleOpen Access
Medication Errors at Queen Sirik.it National Institute of Child Health
Sangtawesin V 
,
Kanjanapattanakul W ,
Srisan P ,
Nawasiri W ,
lngchareonsunthom P
,
Kanjanapattanakul W ,
Srisan P ,
Nawasiri W ,
lngchareonsunthom P WIBOON KANJANAPATTANAKUL, MD*,
WIPAJAREE NAWASIRI,BSC**,
Background
: In the past two years, medication errors have been recognized as having been
unacceptably high among hospitalized patients.
Objective
: To determine the incidence and type of medication errors, severity of events,
patient outcomes and categories of drugs involved in the largest pediatric hospital in Thailand over a
fifteen-month-period.
Patients and Method
: Retrospective review of in-patient medication errors documented in
standard reporting forms from September 2001 to November 2002. Main outcome measure was the
incidence of errors reported.
Results
: Medication errors occurred in l per cent of admissions (322 errors of 32,105 admis-
sions). The most common error type was prescription error (35.40%). The majority of errors were
detected and prevented before the drugs were administered (76.71 %). There was oniy one case of
permanent brain damage; no deaths occurred in the study period. The most common group of drugs
involved in medication errors was antibiotics and the most common route of administration was oral.
Conclusion
: Medication errors are not uncommon. There is a need to change the behaviors
of recognizing and acknowledging clinical errors, including drug errors. Careful review of errors high-
lights the many opportunities to change how drug errors are addressed and to make them less likely.
Key word
: Medication Errors, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health
WIPAJAREE NAWASIRI,BSC**,
Background
: In the past two years, medication errors have been recognized as having been
unacceptably high among hospitalized patients.
Objective
: To determine the incidence and type of medication errors, severity of events,
patient outcomes and categories of drugs involved in the largest pediatric hospital in Thailand over a
fifteen-month-period.
Patients and Method
: Retrospective review of in-patient medication errors documented in
standard reporting forms from September 2001 to November 2002. Main outcome measure was the
incidence of errors reported.
Results
: Medication errors occurred in l per cent of admissions (322 errors of 32,105 admis-
sions). The most common error type was prescription error (35.40%). The majority of errors were
detected and prevented before the drugs were administered (76.71 %). There was oniy one case of
permanent brain damage; no deaths occurred in the study period. The most common group of drugs
involved in medication errors was antibiotics and the most common route of administration was oral.
Conclusion
: Medication errors are not uncommon. There is a need to change the behaviors
of recognizing and acknowledging clinical errors, including drug errors. Careful review of errors high-
lights the many opportunities to change how drug errors are addressed and to make them less likely.
Key word
: Medication Errors, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health
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