SUMMARY TABLE MEDICATION ERRORS Author/s, (year) Country Aims Sample/setting Design/methods Main findings Strengths and limitations of the study I Coombes et al 200s Australia Assessment of nurses’ awareness of identi$,ing medication etrors, to enable prevention of medication errors by implementing prevention strategies. 591 recently employed Registered Nurses (RN’s) in a simulated setting, within a teaching hospiøl. Quantitative: Prospective study during 2003 -2004, observing RN’s administering medication during scenario setting. Outcome measured knowledge: detection and action; detection, no action; no knowledge. Approximately l/3 detected errors and acted appropriately. ll-30% aware of error did not act. 2-7 %o unaw are of errors, reporting lack of knowledge. Skengths: clinical and statistical significance; anonymous self repofing reduced bias; multiple observers’ minimised bias; generalisable to wider nursing population due to RN’s diverse experience and training. Limitations: credibility limited by simulation setting; no ethical approval. 2 Smith & Lesar 20tt NewYork To increase knowledge of characteristics associated with analgesic medication errors to enable prevention strategies. 714,290 analgesic orders audited in a 631 bedtertiarycare hospiøl for inpatients. Quantiøtive study during 2003 – 2007. Pharmacists audited data from medication charts using global classification for medication erors. lz errors miscalculation; l/3 errors ignored patient information; % nadequate medication knowledge. Paediatric errors doubled adult errors. Strengths: highlighted frequency and common elements, also the need for comparable studies. Limitations: Single hospital may not be generalisable to wider nursing population; computerised prescribing unavailable; staff cducation variable; data on pharmacist intervention prior to adminiskation not included; no ethics approval. J O’Shea et al (200e) Australia Assess the impact ofeducating nurses regarding omission medication errors Audits for omission n a 174 bed hospital: pre-education 20,154 records for 99 patients; posteducation 24,337 lor 109 patients Quantitative: Prospective study. Baseline data gathered one month prior to education.3 month intervention, followed by one month audit. Nursing education reduced omission medication errors ftom 4.2%o to 2.9o/o Strengths: clinical and statistical significance; generalisable to wider nursing population. Limitations : medication administered with unendorsed documentation not studied; no ethics approval; outdated reference (199 6).

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