Incidence of Medication Errors and Most Common Drugs Involved during Management of Isolated Patients with COVID 19 in an Egyptian General Hospital

Abstract

Abstract Background The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide. This retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate incidence and type of medication errors among patients isolated in an Egyptian general hospital during the early months of 2021. Methods A total of 468 patient records were reviewed for medication errors. Data collection included patient demographics, comorbidities, admission details, and clinical pharmacist data. Medication errors were categorized based on ordering, administration, and monitoring processes. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, and visual representations of key variables. Results A total of 934 medication errors were found with a prevalence of 42 per 100 patient days and almost 2 errors per patient. All participants experienced drug therapy problems, with the most prevalent issues related to dosing regimen (31%), needs drugs (27%), and monitoring (18%). The main drugs involved in medication errors were anticoagulants (17.6%), antibiotics (12.3%), corticosteroids (10%) and antiviral drugs (9%). Conclusion This study highlights the very high incidence of medication errors among COVID-19 patients during the second wave of the pandemic. The main issues were related to “dosing regimen”, “needs a drug” and “needs monitoring”. Also, the main drug groups involved in theses errors were anticoagulants and antibiotics, followed by corticosteroids and antiviral drugs. Recommendations Addressing medication errors, especially in critical care settings, is crucial for improving patient safety and outcomes. Future interventions should focus on enhancing healthcare professionals' knowledge and communication, particularly in high-stress environments like ICUs. These findings can guide healthcare practice improvements and enhance patient care during pandemics and other healthcare crises.