Strategies to prevent medication errors by nurses: a qualitative study

Medication errors are among the most common medical errors that place patients at risk، and their prevalence is considered a measure of patient safety in hospitals. Using the experiences and opinions of experts is an important source of information for developing strategies to prevent medication errors. The aim of this study was to define strategies for the prevention of medication errors in hospitals of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences. This qualitative study was conducted on 10 nurses with experience of working in various hospital wards، selected through purposive sampling using the maximum variation technique. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect record and transcribe the data، which were then typed and stored on the computer. The collected data were analyzed using content analysis. After combining similar cases، we were able to develop 11 main categories، 43 sub-categories، and 3 themes: human factors، administrative principles and organizational structures. Our findings present the experiences of nurses regarding strategies related to the prevention of medication errors. Proper planning، coordination of human resources within wards، development of a comprehensive system to monitor prescription charts، suitable hospital equipment and favorable environmental conditions are some factors that can prevent the dangerous and perhaps irreversible consequences of medication errors.