PREVALENCE AND PATTERNS OF MEDICATION ERRORS ACROSS THE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTERS IN THE CAPITAL CITY OF SAUDI ARABIA

*Zainab Ibrahim Albahouth, Samia Zaben Almurshadi, Hajer Yousef Almudaiheem and Nawaf Marzog Alotibi

ABSTRACT

Background: Patient safety in public is concerned in health care systems throughout the world. Medication errors major problems in the care settings and are the common mistakes at any stage in the medical management. There are limited studies have been documented in the medication errors in the Saudi Arabia especially in primary health care centers. The present study aims to determine the extent and causes of the medication errors are made in primary health care centers in the Saudi Arabia. Methods: In this study, we have 994 prescriptions from 10 major health care centers from Riyadh. This study was carried during 21st January 2018-2nd February 2018, this study mainly documented the causes and types of medication errors in the selected primary health care centers with the help of the medication error form, which was certified from the general administration of pharmaceutical care from Ministry of Health, KSA. Results: A total of 994 prescriptions were analyzed from 10 PHCs. Overall medication errors were found on 174 out of 994 prescriptions (17.5%). Out of 174 study subjects,32(18.4%) were in the age group of 30-less than 50 years. Among 40.2% of patients, 13 types of medication errors were documented with improper dose. The missing of drug information was found in 41.4% of patients, which is the causes of medication error, 26.6% patients were with the cause of the workflow problem/environmental staffing. The dosage distribution of medication error is divided into four categories such as A, B, C and D. The class A of medication error is found to be 1.7%, B is 50.6%, C is 44.8% and D is 2.9%. The statistical data provide the significant distribution between the four types of medication errors (p<0.0001). Conclusion: In conclusion, medication errors play a major role in affecting the quality of health in our patients. The medication error rate was found to be 17.5%, which is high and should be managed in all the age groups. The results concluded from this study should be apparent and confirms rather than definitive.

Keywords: Error, Medication error, Prescription error and primary health care centers.