Evaluation of medication errors in patients with kidney diseases in Quetta, Pakistan

BACKGROUND: Medication errors represent a significant challenge in healthcare, as they can lead to enduring harm for patients and impose substantial financial burdens on the healthcare system. To effectively mitigate medication errors, it is imperative to gain a comprehensive understanding of their frequency and the contributing variables. Thus, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of medication errors among patients with kidney diseases in Quetta, Pakistan. METHODS: The objective of this study was to assess medication errors in patients diagnosed with kidney diseases in Quetta, Pakistan. The research was conducted at the Balochistan Institute of Nephro-Urology Quetta (BINUQ) Hospital, which serves as a tertiary care center specializing in the treatment of kidney diseases. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was employed over a period of six months. The study population consisted of patients admitted to the Nephro-urology wards at BINUQ Hospital during the specified duration. Data collection encompassed various methodologies, including checklist-guided observation, review of prescription order forms, documentation of drug administration, and comprehensive analysis of patient medical records. Descriptive and analytical analyses were conducted using SPSS version 23. Univariate analysis was employed to identify independent variables associated with medication errors, employing a significance level of p<0.01. The multivariate logistic regression analysis incorporated variables that exhibited a significant association with medication errors during the univariate analysis. Only those variables demonstrating a p-value of less than 0.05 at a 95% confidence level were considered significant predictors of medication administration errors within the final multivariate model. RESULTS: Among the 274 medication errors identified in the study, documentation errors accounted for 118 cases (12.06%), administration errors for 97 cases (9.91%), prescribing errors for 34 cases (3.47%), and dispensing errors for 25 cases (2.55%). Statistical analysis revealed significant associations (p<0.05) between forgetfulness and duty shift, and medication errors in the documentation process. Similarly, inattention was significantly associated (p<0.05) with both prescribing and dispensing errors. Furthermore, the number of medications received emerged as the most influential factor associated with medication errors. Patients receiving 4–6 medications exhibited an odds ratio of 9.08 (p<0.001) compared to patients receiving 1–3 medications, while patients receiving more than 6 medications had an odds ratio of 4.23 (p<0.001) in relation to patients receiving 1–3 medications. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this study determined that documentation errors were the most prevalent medication errors observed in patients with kidney disease in Quetta, Pakistan. Forgetfulness and duty shift were associated with documentation errors, whereas inattention was linked to prescribing and dispensing errors. The significant risk factor for medication errors was found to be a high number of prescribed medications. Therefore, strategies aimed at reducing medication errors should prioritize enhancements in documentation practices, alleviating medication burden, and increasing awareness among healthcare providers.