EFFECTS OF DEVELOPING A MEDICATION ERROR AND ADVERSE DRUG EVENT REPORTING SYSTEM AT LAMPANG HOSPITAL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69598/tbps.21.1.1-18Keywords:
Medication errors, Adverse drug events, Reporting systemAbstract
This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the rate of medication error reporting and to assess the accuracy of medication error reports occurring in Lampang Hospital. Data collection was divided into two periods based on the implementation of the online reporting system: before system development, when reports were submitted via Google Sheets (October 2021 – September 2022), and after system development, when reports were submitted via Google Forms (October 2022 – September 2023). A report was considered accurate if it included complete information in three aspects: the medication use process, type of error, and severity. Results showed that the rates of medication error reporting before and after the system development were 43.15% (4,059 reports) and 56.85% (5,348 reports), respectively. The proportion of accurate reports was 92.53% (1,436/1,552 reports) and 91.23% (2,642/2,896 reports), respectively. The accuracy rate of reports made by pharmacists increased (92.25% and 93.48%; p = 0.177), whereas the accuracy rate of reports from pharmacy technicians significantly decreased (100.0% and 88.02%; p = 0.006). The medication use processes with the highest incidence of reported errors before and after system development were prescribing (64.50% and 60.02%, respectively) and pre-dispensing errors (23.87% and 30.70%, respectively). This study demonstrates that the medication error reporting system via Google Forms increased both the reporting rate and the accuracy of reports by pharmacists. Enhancing reporting system efficiency should consider the engagement of all stakeholders, improvement of understanding of the reporting system and terminology, and development of feedback mechanisms for reporters to further promote medication safety within the hospital.
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