Medication Errors among Healthcare Workers in a Major HIV Treatment Centre in Nigeria
S. O. Ekama *
Department of Clinical Sciences, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, P.M.B 2013 Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
A. N. David
Department of Clinical Sciences, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, P.M.B 2013 Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
A. Z. Musa
Department of Clinical Sciences, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, P.M.B 2013 Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
I. I. Olojo
Department of Clinical Sciences, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, P.M.B 2013 Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
E. C. Herbertson
Department of Clinical Sciences, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, P.M.B 2013 Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
D. A. Oladele
Department of Clinical Sciences, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, P.M.B 2013 Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
S. T. Adaba
Department of Clinical Sciences, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, P.M.B 2013 Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
M. O. Chidi
Department of Clinical Sciences, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, P.M.B 2013 Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
A. G. Ohihoin
Department of Clinical Sciences, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, P.M.B 2013 Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
N. N. Odunukwe
Department of Clinical Sciences, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, P.M.B 2013 Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
O. C. Ezechi
Department of Clinical Sciences, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, P.M.B 2013 Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Medication errors are major challenging clinical incidents in health care settings that could jeopardize a patient’s life and well being. These errors could occur at any step of the medication use process from prescribing, prescription verification, dispensing, drug administration to monitoring. This study aims to assess and classify medication errors among doctors and pharmacists.
Methods: A prospective observational study from July to September 2018. Randomly selected prescriptions were screened for errors before and after dispensing of drugs. Errors were assessed and classified according to the National Coordination Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCCMERP) index to determine the level of harm it posed to the patient.
Results: Out of 1529 prescriptions analyzed, 182(11.9%) medication errors were observed; 104(57.1%) and 78 (42.9%) among doctors and pharmacists respectively. Majority of the errors were for female patients, those on first line antiretroviral drug regimen, in the age group 41-50 years and according to the NCCMERP index of the error type D. The most common medication errors among the doctors were omission errors (36.5%) and errors in patient data (21.1%) while unsigned prescriptions (33.3%) and omitting prescribed drugs from dispensed drugs (28.2%) ranked highest among pharmacists’ errors. Doctors and pharmacists (53.3% and 75% respectively) with < 5years HIV care experience had higher error rates.
Conclusion: Medication errors associated with cotrimoxazole therapy were most common for both categories of health workers and this has a potential for poor treatment outcome. There is need for continuous training of health workers in HIV management.
Keywords: Medication errors, antiretroviral therapy in Nigeria, HIV, doctor’s errors, pharmacist errors