The Nursing Journal of India
Nursing Journal of India (NJI) is the one of the world’s oldest journal regularly published with a legacy of more than 100 years.

Patient safety is a fundamental element of health care. Medication errors weaken patients' trust and confidence in medical services, increase hospitalisation costs, and eventually reflect in national health parameters. Reporting such events develops a robust medication management system and cultivates a safe and secure environment for patients. This study was undertaken to report the incidence of medication errors in an indoor hospital setting, their types, and root causes, after ethical clearance, so that further prevention and control strategies can be planned. Prospective data collection was done by the principal investigator as per the structured data collection form, which included types of error, their effect on the patient, possible causes and prevention strategies implemented. A total of 110 medication error events were reported. The most frequent error was the overwriting of the drug chart. Contributing factors included failure to adhere to SOP (standard operating procedure) and peak duty hours. Most errors did not cause any potential harm to the patient, except one. Training and education were provided as prevention strategies. The study highlights that medication errors are preventable events often linked to systemic issues rather than individual negligence. Strengthening reporting mechanisms, promoting a nonpunitive culture, and implementing targetted interventions such as staff training and electronic prescribing can significantly enhance medication safety.


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