{
  "abstract": "Aim To investigate the prevalence, characteristics, and contributing factors of medication errors (MEs) in hospitalised paediatric patients. The study aimed to quantify the occurrence of MEs, evaluate their clinical impact, and identify potential strategies to reduce risk, recognising the complexities of weight-based dosing and off-label prescribing in paediatrics. 1 Method A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from an internal electronic incident reporting system over a 12-month period. Medication-related incidents reported in paediatric wards were extracted and reviewed. Inclusion criteria encompassed MEs occurring at any stage of the medication process—prescribing, dispensing, preparation, or administration. A total of 248 validated incidents were analysed. Each was categorised by type and stage of error, drug class, administration route, severity, and contributing factor. Descriptive analysis was then performed.Results Of the 248 incidents, most occurred during the administration stage (56.9%), followed by prescribing (38.7%). Fewer than 5% were associated with preparation or dispensing. Common types of MEs included dose omissions (31%), incorrect dosing (19%), and infusion rate errors (9%). The highest frequency of MEs was reported in critical care (25.4%) and neonatal units (24.6%). The most implicated drug classes were antimicrobials (24.5%) and opioids (10.5%), with 61% of all MEs involving injectable medications. Contributing factors included inadequate training (42%) and miscommunication during handovers (7%). Most MEs (85%) caused no harm; 13% led to low harm, and 2% resulted in moderate harm. No cases of severe harm or death were reported. The findings align with previous research indicating that high-risk areas such as critical care units and high-alert medications are particularly vulnerable to MEs. 1 2 Conclusion Medication errors are prevalent in hospitalised paediatric patients, particularly during drug administration and prescribing. High-risk settings include critical care and neonatal units, where complex dosing and injectable drugs are frequently used. Key contributors to MEs were inadequate training and poor communication—issues that are well recognised in patient safety literature. 3 4 Interventions to mitigate these risks should include enhanced staff education, structured handover processes, clinical decision support tools, and strengthened pharmacy oversight. Improving medication safety requires not only system-level changes but also fostering a culture that prioritises error reporting, learning, and continuous improvement in paediatric care.References Elliott RA, Camacho E, Jankovic D, et al. Economic analysis of the prevalence and clinical and economic burden of medication error in England. BMJ Quality & Safety 2021;30(2):96–105.Ghaleb MA, Barber N, Franklin BD, et al. The incidence and nature of prescribing and medication administration errors in paediatric inpatients. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2010;95(2):113–8.Donaldson LJ, Kelley ET, Dhingra-Kumar N, et al. Medication without harm: WHO’s third global patient safety challenge. The Lancet 2017;389(10080):1680–1.Likic R, Maxwell SR. Prevention of medication errors: teaching and training. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2009;67(6):656–61.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "University College London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Hassan Othman"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Barts Health NHS Trust"
      ],
      "name": "Mohammed Abou Daya"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P22 Prevalence and factors contributing to medication errors in hospitalised paediatric patients",
  "uid": "52bfee05-2897-5950-afef-57463bf3cafb"
}