What defines a medication error?

A medication error is defined as any avoidable event that leads to incorrect medication use. This definition encompasses a broad range of potential incidents, including mistakes in prescribing, dispensing, and administering medications. These errors can result from misunderstandings, miscommunications, or oversight and can occur at any stage in the medication use process.

For instance, a medication error might involve a pharmacist dispensing an incorrect dosage of a medication, or a healthcare provider inadvertently prescribing a drug to a patient with a known allergy. The emphasis on "avoidable" highlights that these errors are often preventable, underscoring the importance of adequate training, checks and balances, and communication in healthcare settings to minimize risks to patients.

In contrast, discussions about drug safety, side effects of medications, or compliance measures do not directly address errors in medication usage. These options relate to medication management and safety strategies but do not define what constitutes a medication error itself. Understanding this definition is crucial for healthcare professionals to ensure patient safety and improve overall medication management practices.