Dental prescribing errors should be considered as a potential area for improvement in the medication management process and patient safety. We suggest that a pharmacist should be available for medication dispensing at all units and that dentists are trained continuously so that medication orders may become more legible and complete. Improving the quality of dental prescriptions will reduce the risks for medication errors and will promote the rational use of pharmacotherapy, and patient safety.

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Objectives: To describe the pharmacological characteristics of medicines involved in administration errors and determine the frequency of errors with potentially dangerous medicines and low therapeutic index, in clinical units of five teaching hospitals, in Brazil. Methods: Multicentric study, descriptive and exploratory, using the non-participant observation technique (during the administration of 4958 doses of medicines) and the anatomical therapeutic chemical classification (ATC). Results: Of that total, 1500 administration errors were identified (30.3%). The administration of pharmacological groups -ATC (cardiovascular system, nervous system, alimentary tract and metabolism system and anti-infectives for systemic use) showed a higher frequency of errors. In 13.0% of errors were involved potentially dangerous medicines and in 12.2% medicines with low therapeutic index. Conclusion: The knowledge of the pharmacological profile could be an important strategy to be used in the prevention medication errors in health institutions. Keywords: Medication errors; Medication systems hospital RESUMOObjetivos: Descrever as características farmacológicas dos medicamentos envolvidos em erros de administração e determinar a frequência desses erros com medicamentos potencialmente perigosos e de baixo índice terapêutico em unidades de clínica médica de cinco hospitais de ensino brasileiros. Métodos: Estudo multicêntrico, descritivo/exploratório utilizando a técnica de observação não participante durante a administração de 4958 doses de medicamentos e a classificação anatômica terapêutica química (ATC). Resultados: Dentre esse total, foram identificados 1500 erros de administração de medicamentos (30,3%). A administração dos fármacos dos grupos ATC -sistema cardiovascular, sistema nervoso, trato alimentar e metabolismo e antinfecciosos de uso sistêmico apresentou maior frequência de erros. Em 13,0% dos erros estavam envolvidos medicamentos potencialmente perigosos e em 12,2% medicamentos de baixo índice terapêutico. Conclusão: O conhecimento do perfil farmacológico pode ser uma importante estratégia a ser utilizada na prevenção de erros de medicação em instituições de saúde. Descritores: Erros de medicação; Sistemas de medicação no hospital RESUMEN Objetivos: Describir las características farmacológicas de los medicamentos envueltos en errores de administración y determinar la frecuencia de esos errores en medicamentos potencialmente peligrosos y en los de bajo índice terapéutico, en unidades de clínica médica de cinco hospitales de enseñanza brasileños. Métodos: Estudio multicéntrico, descriptivo-exploratorio utilizando la técnica de observación no participante (durante la administración de 4.958 dosis de medicamentos) y la clasificación anatómica terapéutica química (ATC). Resultados: Fueron identificados 1500 errores de administración de medicamentos (30,3%). La administración de los fármacos de los grupos ATC (sistema cardiovascular, sistema nervioso, sistema digestivo y metabolismo, y, anti-infecciosos) de uso sist...

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This study analyzed the writing failure of the computerized physician order entry system and its advantages and disadvantages according to users. At a university hospital 1,351 physician orders were analyzed and 84 nursing and medical professionals were interviewed. The results showed that 17.7% of the orders presented measures, medication had been suspended in 16.8%, in 28.2% there was dubious or misleading information and in 25% medication had been prescribed manually. The professionals indicated advantages such as: ease of data reading and the quickness with which the order is entered and released, among others. They also reported disadvantages such as the repetition of orders from previous days without a review and incorrectly typed information. Therefore, it is concluded that, despite representing an important strategy for error reduction, this system must be overhauled and professionals must be trained to use it.

This study analyzes the influence of medical prescriptions' writing on the occurrence of medication errors in the medical wards of five Brazilian hospitals. This descriptive study used data obtained from a multicenter study conducted in 2005. The population was composed of 1,425 medication errors and the sample included 92 routes through which medication was wrongly administered.The pharmacological classes most frequently involved in errors were cardiovascular agents (31.5%), medication that acts on the nervous system (23.9%), and on the digestive system and metabolism (13.0%). In relation to the prescription items that may have contributed to such errors, we verified that 91.3% of prescriptions contained acronyms and abbreviations; patient information was missing in 22.8%, and 4.3% did not include the date and were effaced.Medication wrong-route administrations are common in Brazilian hospitals and around the world.It is well established that these situations may result in severe adverse events for patients, including death. Administración de medicamentos en vías diferentes de las indicadas en la prescripción médicaEl objetivo fue analizar la influencia de la redacción de la prescripción médica en los errores de vía de administración ocurridos en la enfermería de clínica médica de cinco hospitales brasileños. Se trata de un estudio descriptivo que utilizó datos de investigación multicéntrica realizada en 2005. La población fue compuesta por 1.425 errores de medicación y la muestra por 92 errores de vía. Las clases farmacológicas más envueltas en el error fueron: 1) las cardiovasculares (31,5%), 2) las drogas que actúan en el sistema nervioso (23,9%), y 3) las que actúan en el sistema digestivo y metabolismo (13,0%). En lo que se refiere a los ítems de la prescripción médica que podrían haber contribuido con los errores de vía, se verificó que 91,3% de las prescripciones contenían siglas/abreviaturas; 22,8% no contenían datos del paciente, y 4,3% no presentaban fecha y contenían raspados. Errores de vía son frecuentes en los hospitales brasileños y alrededor del mundo y se sabe que estas situaciones pueden resultar en eventos adversos severos en los pacientes, incluyendo la muerte.

IntroductionHospitalised patients with nasogastric/nasoenteric tube (NGT/NET) are at constant risk of incidents; therefore, healthcare professionals need to routinely monitor risks and adopt strategies for patient safety and quality of care.AimThis study aimed to evaluate the NGT/NET-related incidents in hospitalised patients and associated factors.MethodsThis is a multicentre study, with a prospective cohort design. Data will be collected at the general medical ward of seven Brazilian hospitals in the north, northeast, southeast and south. The sample will consist of 391 patients that require an NGT/NET during hospitalisation. Three different methods will be used to identify the incidents: (1) healthcare professionals and patients/caregivers will be required to report any NGT/NET-related incidents; (2) researchers will visit the wards to get information about the incidents with healthcare professionals and patients/caregivers; (3) the researchers will review the medical records looking for information on the occurrence of any NGT/NET-related incidents. Demographic, clinical and therapeutic details will be obtained from the medical records and will be registered in an electronic data collection tool developed for the purposes of this study. The complexity of patients will be assessed by the Patient Classification System, and the severity of comorbid diseases will be assessed through the Charlson Comorbidity Index.Implication for practiceThe results may encourage the use of evidence effectively to influence the scientific foundation for clinical practice and the development of evidence-based policies that will prevent, manage and eliminate complications caused by NGT/NET-related incidents, and improve the quality and safety of care provided to hospitalised patients.Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Detailed information about the study can be provided by the principal investigator. The findings will be reported through academic journals, seminar and conference presentations, social media, print media, the internet and community/stakeholder engagement activities.