Role of Clinical Pharmacist in Identifying and Resolving Medication Errors in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Medication errors are one of the most common type of patient safety incidents worldwide and that may cause harm to the patients. To our knowledge there is only few studies in psychiatric hospital settings which focus on medication errors in more stages of the medication process. A precise estimation of types, potential severity of errors is needed to choose relevant interventions to reduce the medication errors. The present study was undertaken to understand various types of medication errors in psychiatric prescription at a tertiary care hospital. AIM OF THE STUDY: The present study was aimed to assess the role of clinical pharmacist in identifying and resolving medication errors in a private hospital. OBJECTIVES: 1. To find out the socio demographic status of the patients. 2. To determine the incidence of medication errors. 3. To identify and assess the pattern and severity of medication error. 4. To identify the factors associated with an increased risk of medication errors. 5. Creating awareness through documenting and reporting of medication error. 6. To identify the impact of pharmacist intervention on reducing medication errors. METHODOLOGY: Study Site: The study was conducted at in-patient ward at a tertiary health care hospital, Erode, Tamilnadu, India. Study Design: Prospective observational study. Study Period: The study was performed for a period of eight months from July 2017 to February 2018. Study Criteria: Inclusion Criteria: 1. Any patient admitted at general medicine ward on daily basis during study period. 2. All type of medication errors. 3. Patient with other co-morbid condition. 4. Patient of age group with 20-70 years. 5. Both genders. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Out patients in all departments of the hospital. 2. Pregnant and lactating women. 3. Patient undergoing treatment less than one day of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: This study had presented a pattern of findings in medication errors. Clinical pharmacist as a part and parcel of health care system plays a major role in identifying, rectifying and modifying the medication errors which are a cynosure for emerging pharmacy practice education in India and thus assures the patient safety by rendering his services. • The study indicates that prescription writing errors were significant at the study site, which highlights the need of contributing the education programs to improve the prescription writing skills of prescribers and reduce the practice of inappropriate prescription through provision of appropriate unbiased information to health professional. • No errors in the study resulted in permanent harm to the patient or contributed to initial or prolonged hospitalization; however, interventions were performed to prevent patient harm if any that is likely due to severity of error. • Contributing factors, which lead to medication errors, have to be identified in order to prevent the medication errors. • Performance deficit found to be the largest contributing factor among all that lead to medication errors. • Each health care system should encourage medication errors reporting and prevention so as to enhance patient quality of life. • The role of a clinical pharmacist in this situation appears to be very important for confine to identification, documentation, reporting and intervention of medication errors