Medication errors in community pharmacy: A scoping review

Abstract

Patient safety is the primary concern in healthcare service delivery. One of the efforts to achieve patient safety is to prevent medication errors. Pharmacists in community pharmacies, who have a broader reach with patients, can help prevent medication errors by understanding the types of errors that are at risk of occurring during the service process. The aim of this study was to summarize the types of medication errors most commonly found in community pharmacies. This study is a scoping review using search methods from the PubMed, SpringerLink, and Cochrane Library databases, and it covers studies on a global scale. The search resulted in 15 articles that met the inclusion criteria. The quality of these articles was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program. The review of these articles found that dispensing errors occurred more frequently than prescription errors, administration errors, and monitoring errors. Several subtypes of each medication error type were identified, but they were categorized based on the stages of the pharmaceutical service process in accordance with the practice in community pharmacies.