Table 1.

Types of Nurse Reported Medication Errors

Type of Error	No. of Errors
Type 1: Errors in medication ordering and transcription	33
Type 1a. Physician order writing errors	8
Order illegible	1
Order written on wrong chart	1
Wrong dose	1
Fails to place chart in orders slot for ward clerk	4
Fails to complete order	1
Type 1b. Ward clerk errors	1
Fails to send copy of order to pharmacy	1
Type 1c. Nursing errors	1
Enters wrong order into MAR	1
Type 1d. Pharmacy errors	20
Miscopies written order into computer	10
Places order into computer without a written order	5
Fails to put order into computer	3
Fails to discontinue medication from computer when ordered	2
Type 1e. Type 1 errors not otherwise classifiable	3
Type 2: Errors in medication dispensing	50
Type 2a. Nursing dispensing errors	36
Dispenses wrong medication	16
Dispenses incorrect dose	20
Type 2b. Pharmacy dispensing errors	12
Failure to send medication to the ward at appropriate time	7
Dispenses wrong medication	1
Dispenses an incompatible medication	1
Dispenses incorrect dose	3
Type 3: Nursing errors in medication administration	58
Medication not given	18
Wrong medication given	1
Wrong time	10
Wrong dose	17
Wrong patient	6
Administered after discontinue order	1
Wrong route	1
Failure to chart medication given resulting in repeat dose	3
Administers incompatible medication	1

Abbreviation: MAR, medication administration record.