ASSESSMENT OF MEDICATION ERRORS IN CHEMOTHERAPY RECEIVING PATIENTS IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Abstract

Objective: Identifying, Analyzing and developing prevention strategies for medication errors in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Methods: A prospective, open labeled, Observational study was conducted in the Department of Medical Oncology, in a tertiary care hospital in Tamil Nadu, India. Patients who came to receive chemotherapy during the period of 6 months from Jan 2016 to June 2016 were included in the study. Medication history interview, reconstitution procedures, administration procedures and chemotherapy chart review were done. Drugs administered for other co morbid conditions were not been considered for assessing medication errors. Medication errors were assessed based on the NCCMERP index and statistical analysis was done by using SPSS tool. Prevention strategies were developed to rectify the medication errors and factors which influence the medication error. Result: Medication Error among the patients receiving chemotherapy was identified to be 51.08%, of which, prescribing error was 19.79%, administration error was 27.08%, wrong dose was 41.66%, wrong drug error was 3.12% and wrong strength was 8.33%. Based on the NCCMERP index, the majority of errors (70%) fell in the category Error, No Harm, followed by which 34% belongs to no error and 2% with Error, Harm and there was no death occurred due to medication error. Further, the errors were grouped into 8 categories (Category A to Category I). The majority of errors (35%) fall into category A. Among various chemotherapeutic agent, 5-Fluorouracil was found to have more medication WORLD JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES SJIF Impact Factor 6.647 Volume 6, Issue 9, 1759-1769 Research Article ISSN 2278 – 4357 Article Received on 17 July 2017, Revised on 06 August 2017, Accepted on 28 August 2017 DOI: 10.20959/wjpps20179-10154 *Corresponding Author