Prescribing Drives Most Errors; Pharmacists Intercept Majority
This 3-year single-center Saudi audit maps where medication errors cluster across the medication-use process and identifies stage-specific detection patterns relevant to interception strategy.
Prescribing errors dominate with pharmacists leading error interception.
Understanding medication errors within all stages of the medication-use process can help implement targeted interventions to enhance patient safety. Prescribing errors were the most frequent (65.5%), with pharmacists identifying 86.3% of errors and most errors not reaching patients (93.5%, Category B). The study highlights the critical role of pharmacists in error interception and suggests system-level changes to improve prescribing practices. Systematic interventions targeting prescribing errors can significantly improve medication safety.
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Authors:Alqurashi NS, Alshehri MS, Almalki MJ, Muradkhudhari MM, Radwan RM, Aldurdunji MM, Almazam SA, Almuzaini OK, Wali SM
Citation:Alqurashi NS, Alshehri MS, Almalki MJ, et al. Patterns and Determinants of Medication Errors Across the Medication-Use Process: A 3-Year Retrospective Study in a Saudi Tertiary Hospital. Saudi medical journal. 2026;47(9):1530-1541. doi:10.15537/1658-3175.8832
Subscribers receive access to a complete clinical analysis, available online and as a downloadable PDF.
Executive Summary
Study Design
Patient Population
Primary Outcomes
Secondary Outcomes & Safety Profile
Pharmacist Implications
Clinical Pearls
Limitations
Controversies & Evidence Gaps
Cost & Logistics
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