Medication error and their prevention

Medication error is any preventable error in the medication administration process starting from prescribing including preparing, dispensing, administrating and transcribing. Medication errors are not only significant clinically but may also have serious economic and legal consequence like extended hospital stay, additional treatment and diagnostic evaluation and malpractice litigation. Children are especially vulnerable to medication errors as prescribing in this group requires multiple calculations, dosing based on body weight or surface area, small dose requirement and compromised detoxifiging and excreting ability.