JLE

Journal de Pharmacie Clinique

MENU

Medication errors in a paediatric unit. Volume 25, issue 1, Janvier-Février-Mars 2006

Figures

See all figures

Authors
Service de pharmacie, Hôpital Clocheville, CHU Tours, Service pédiatrie A, Hôpital Clocheville, CHU Tours

The medication iatrogenic risk is quite unevaluated in paediatrics. A direct observation survey has been conducted in a paediatric unit in order to assess medication errors frequency. During 4 weeks, a pharmacy resident has studied prescriptions, dose preparation for administration and drugs administration in this unit. 24.6% of the prescriptions were not conform. Among these, 64.4% did not mention the physician’s identity and 35.6% the inpatient’s identity. 15% of the lines of prescriptions have presented abnormalities (elements were missing for a good execution of the prescription) and 6.9% presented an error. No drugs interactions have been observed. Concerning preparation to administration, errors have been noticed in 64% of cases: the main errors concerned reconstitution and dilution modalities of injectable drugs as well as drugs manipulations leading to a modification of the pharmaceutical forms. For the administration the main deviation observed occurred when timing was not respected. This study has shown and confirmed dysfunctions and iatrogenic risk practices in a paediatric hospital. The main purposes of the pharmacy unit work were first to have adequate drug preparations available and to develop the information process. The computerizing system is also an important way to optimize the drug course.