This study compared medication errors detected using incident reports, the Global Trigger Tool method, and direct observations of patient records. Incident reports and the Global Trigger Tool more commonly identified medication errors likely to cause harm. Omission errors were commonly identified by all three methods, but identification of other errors varied. For example, incident reports most commonly identified wrong dose and wrong time errors. The contributing factors also varied by method, but in general, communication issues and human factors were the most common contributors.

This study evaluated cross-sectional survey data from pharmacists and patients to characterize organizational factors associated with variation in safety climate, patient satisfaction and self-reported medication adherence in community pharmacies in the United Kingdom. Safety climate was associated with pharmacy ownership, organizational culture, working hours, and employment of accuracy checkers. Skill mix and continuity of care also influenced safety culture and quality.

The unintended consequences of computerized provider order entry and clinical decision support are well-described. Researchers conducted focus groups with pharmacists and physicians at two acute care hospitals in England and found that both computerized provider order entry and clinical decision support increased different aspects of workload for pharmacists and providers while electronic messaging capability yielded some improvements in interprofessional communication.

In this cross-sectional study, researchers evaluated medication safety letters issued by Health Canada, the United States Food and Drug Administration, and the United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency over a 4-year period to evaluate consistency of structure and content as well as timing and commonality of subject matter. They found significant differences in the medication safety letters issued by all three agencies with regard to both the timing and the focus. The authors suggest that better coordination across these bodies might improve patient safety.

This qualitative study characterized safety hazards in medication dispensing in community pharmacies. The authors conclude that the major sources of risk pertained to interruptions and distractions, which were often exacerbated by production pressures.

This internet-based survey of pharmacists in the United Kingdom revealed an association between self-reported medication dispensing errors and higher perceived workload, similar to prior nursing studies. These findings contrast with earlier research that showed no relationship between physician working conditions and errors.

In this study, qualitative interviews with frontline staff were used to identify sources of latent error within an inpatient pharmacy. The potential problems identified, which included issues with the work environment and information technology, were then prospectively monitored over a 6-month period. This process was used to design system improvements.

By introducing several scenarios that illustrate the effective use of a decision-making tree, the authors emphasize the importance of fair response to medication error at both the individual and system levels.

The authors discuss drug-related adverse events in the elderly and provide practical suggestions for clinicians to improve prescription safety in this patient population.