Table 1.

Categories of dispensing errors

Dispensing medicine for the wrong patient (or for the wrong ward)

Dispensing the wrong medicine

Dispensing the wrong drug strength

Dispensing at the wrong time

Dispensing the wrong quantity

Dispensing the wrong dosage form

Dispensing an expired or almost expired medicine

Omission (i.e. failure to dispense)

Dispensing a medicine of inferior quality (pharmaceutical companies)

Dispensing an incorrectly compounded medicine (compounding in pharmacy)

Dispensing with the wrong information on the label

Incorrect patient name

Incorrect drug name

Incorrect drug strength

Incorrect instruction (including incorrect dosage)

Incorrect drug quantity

Incorrect dosage form

Incorrect expiry date

Omission of additional warning(s)

Incorrect pharmacy address

Other labelling errors

Dispensing with the wrong verbal information to the patient or representative