Hospital medication errors halved by automated system

Medication administration errors are a major cause of harm to hospitalised patients and therefore an important target for improving safety. 

In a Danish study, an automated medication system (AMS) was introduced at the haematological ward of a hospital, with a similar ward acting as a control. 

During a three-week period following the introduction of the AMS, the medication administration error rate fell to 0.17 per dose compared with 0.35 per dose at baseline. This equates to a 57% risk reduction compared with the control ward. 

The AMS was checked by pharmacy staff and involved an automated dispensing machine in the pharmacy, which pre-packed tablets for each patient, and bedside barcode verification. 

The team, reporting in the European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy (online, 27 November 2015)^[1]
, say the results suggest the AMS could improve patient safety in similar settings.