Frequency of chemotherapy medication errors: A systematic review
Ramkumar Ashokkumar1, Sureshkumar Srinivasamurthy2, Janet J Kelly3, Scott C Howard4, Subramani Parasuraman5, Chakradhara Rao S. Uppugunduri6
1 Department of Finance, Hospital Corporation of America, Foster City, California, United States of America 2 Department of Pharmacology, Ras Al Khaimah College of Medical Sciences, Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, United Arab Emirates 3 Public Health Research and Surveillance, Independent Epidemiology Contractor, Kaneohe, Hawaii, United States of America 4 Department of Acute and Critical Care, College of Nursing, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America 5 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, AIMST University, 08100 Bedong, Kedah, Malaysia 6 Department of Pediatrics, CANSEARCH Research Laboratory, University Hospitals of Geneva, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
Correspondence Address:
Chakradhara Rao S. Uppugunduri Department of Pediatrics, CANSEARCH Research Laboratory, University Hospitals of Geneva, University of Geneva Switzerland
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/jpp.JPP_61_18
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Objective: To synthesize peer-reviewed knowledge on the frequency of different types of chemotherapy medication errors. Methods: The data were collected from studies published between January 1, 2000, and March 3, 2018, and are identified through online resources such as Medline/PubMed, PubMed Central, Agency for Healthcare Research, and Quality and the Cochrane Library. The manuscripts published in peer-reviewed scientific journals in English language were included in the study. Initially, 19,723 articles were retrieved and finally 11 were found to be eligible to include in the review and were assessed for quality. Error percentages were calculated from the ratio of error type (numerator) to sample size (denominator: medication orders or prescriptions). Results: Overall, the chemotherapy medication errors ranged from 0.004% to 41.6% among various studies. Chemotherapy medication errors ranged from 0.1% to 24.6% in prescribing, 0.40% to 0.50% in preparation, 0.03% in dispensing, and 0.02% to 0.10% in administering phases. Conclusion: Prescribing phase had the highest number of chemotherapy medication errors reported, and least was reported during dispensing phase. We also noticed a need for harmonization for reporting of medication errors.
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