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Wrong-patient medication errors are among the most common types of errors reported to the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP). The USP received 8,196 reports of wrong-patient errors in 2002.

Patient Safety Monitor Alert, July 12, 2004

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Wrong-patient medication errors are among the most common types of errors reported to the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), according to a report by drugtopics.com. The USP received 8,196 reports of wrong-patient errors in 2002.

The errors were reported through the USP's Medication Errors Reporting (MER) and MEDMARX programs.

Only a small percentage of the reported wrong-patient errors (1.4%) resulted in harm, although more than half (52%) reaching the patient, indicating that pharmacists and frontline staff do a better job at identifying patients and developing effective stop gaps.

Most errors were related to administering of medications, documenting/transcribing information (29.3%), or dispensing the drugs (23.5%).

The top five reasons for the wrong-patient errors included:

1. Deficiencies with a worker's performance: 53.5%
2. A policy, procedure or protocol was not followed: 30.5%
3. A incorrect or incomplete computer entry: 14.7%
Incorrect, incomplete, or illegible documentation: 12.2%
4. An inaccurate or omitted transcription: 8.2%

(Note: Numbers do not add up to 100%, as more than one reason may have been responsible.)

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