The challenge of medication errors in the emergency department setting

Medication errors (MEs) are considered as the most common medical errors causing major challenges which can threaten the health system. If proper actions are taken into account they can be reduced. MEs threaten patients’ safety and may increase the length of hospital stay, lead to unexpected complications, mortality and additional costs (1,2). In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched ‘Medication without Harm’ to reduce severe avoidable medication-related damage by 50%, globally in the next 5 years (3). Emergency departments (EDs) are stressful care environments characterized by high speed performance, a large number of patients, unpredictability, high workload, availability of various medications and oral instructions, making EDs more prone to MEs. In addition, the critical nature of many emergency patients may lead to MEs. Therefore, EDs need to be seriously considered to reduce MEs and increase patients’ safety. A review of literature on MEs in EDs provides us with important background knowledge which is helpful in future planning. In this regard, it is of great significance to know about the most common stages of error in pharmacotherapy, the most common types of ME and the most common causes of MEs in the emergency department practice setting.