Medication errors: where do they happen?

Reducing medicines-related harm requires a clear understanding of where and when errors occur. This visual summary shows the latest estimates in England per year.

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Medication errors: where do they happen?

Source: Policy Research Unit in Economic Evaluation of Health & Care Interventions. February 2018

Estimated number of medication errors per year in England broken down by care setting and stage of medicines use. Minor: Error with little or no potential to cause harm. Moderate: Error with potential to cause moderate arm; Severe: Error with potential to cause severe harm.


Source: Data obtained via a FOI request submitted by The Pharmaceutical Journal to NHS Improvement

Around 204,000 medicines-related incidents were reported to England’s National Reporting and Learning System during 2017–2018

Source: Policy Research Unit in Economic Evaluation of Health & Care Interventions. February 2018

Estimated number of deaths and costs to the NHS of definitely avoidable adverse drug reactions, which were assumed to be a proxy for medication errors


Source: DHSC.‘The report of the short life working group on reducing medication-related harm’. February 2018

Several strategies can be employed to reduce medicines-related harm

References

Infographic: Martin Cotterell

Last updated
Citation
The Pharmaceutical Journal, PJ, February 2019, Vol 302, No 7922;302(7922):DOI:10.1211/PJ.2019.20206204

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