Medication error

How it is used

Common types are wrong drug, wrong dose, wrong patient, wrong route and wrong time. A mistake caught before it reaches the patient is a near miss. Pharmacies report errors and learn from them; look-alike sound-alike (LASA) names, unclear abbreviations and interruptions are well-known causes.

Example sentences

1. The medication error happened because the two drug names look so similar.

2. Every medication error, even a near miss, should be reported.

Common collocations

• report a medication error
• prevent medication errors
• near miss
• dispensing error

Related terms

• brand nameThe name a company gives to its product, written with a capital letter, as opposed to the generic name of the active ingredient that everyone uses.
• dispensing labelThe label a pharmacy sticks on a dispensed medicine, showing the patient's name, the drug and strength, the directions for use, the date and the pharmacy's details.
• pharmacovigilanceThe science and activities of detecting, assessing, understanding and preventing adverse effects and other safety problems of medicines once they are on the market.
• medication reviewA structured check of all the medicines a patient takes, usually done with the patient, to make sure each one is still needed, effective, safe and taken correctly.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• medication error · Healthcare Management

More terms: Regulation and Medication Safety

• over-the-counter
• generic drug
• controlled drug
• marketing authorisation
• bioequivalence
• GMP
• formulary