Perceptions of Community Pharmacy Staff regarding Strategies to Reduce and to Improve the Reporting of Medication Incidents

Abstract

Conclusions: Instituting strategies for reducing and enhancing the reporting of medication incidents that are viewed as effective by pharmacy staff members may help to increase reporting rates and to reduce the number of such incidents occurring at the community pharmacy.

Patient-Related Risk Factors for Self-Reported Medication Errors in Hospital and Community Settings in 8 Countries

“…Finally, a study examining risk factors for medication errors among noninstitutionalized ambulatory patients with chronic medical conditions in Jordanidentifiedalinkbetweentheoccurrenceof medicationerrors,thepatient'sliteracyleveland knowledgeregardinghisorhermedicationsand theirresultantadverseevents. 11 Although research on medication safety has increasedinrecentyears,studiesinthecommunity settinghavebeenlimited.Nonetheless,evidence suggestssubstantialunder-reportingofmedication errors in community pharmacies, which affects communitypharmacists'abilitytolearnfromthese events 12 andtoimprovetheirdispensingsystems. While under-reporting makes it impossible to determinetheexactnumberofincidentsoccurring eachyear,ithasbeenestimatedthatabout7million medication incidents occurred in community pharmaciesinCanadain2009.…”