Safety of injectable dosage forms during their preparation and administration by nurses in hospitals: a literature review.

Abstract

Safety of injectable dosage forms during their preparation and administration by nurses in hospitals: a literature review Introduction and Aim: Medication errors in hospitals are still frequent and significant for patient safety and associated healthcare costs. Especially, injectable dosage forms pose the high risk. The aim of this study was to review the current literature focused on medication errors related to injectable drug forms during their preparation and administration by nurses in hospitals.

Methods: Databases Medline and Scopus were used for the literature review. Papers dealing with intravenous (i. v.), intramuscular (i. m.), or subcutaneous (s. c.) administration by nurses in hospitals using direct observation method for data collection were searched. Original papers, systematic reviews or meta-analyses published in English by the end of 2022 were included.

Results: A total of 334 papers were retrieved, of which 21 studies met the inclusion criteria. 17 studies were observational (8 descriptive, 9 analytical) and 4 interventional. Medication errors were very common, moreover, critical steps of the medication process and possible interventions were identified.

Conclusion: The results showed that the process of preparing and administering injectable dosage forms is a high-risk process. In the provision of healthcare, relevant measures must be set up to maximise patient safety.