Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31127338›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of clinical pharmacology2019

Medication errors in hospitals in the Middle East: a systematic review of prevalence, nature, severity and contributory factors.

Binny Thomas, Vibhu Paudyal, Katie MacLure, Abdulrouf Pallivalapila, James McLay, Wessam El Kassem, Moza Al Hail, Derek Stewart

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of clinical pharmacology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

34 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Article
  8. Observational
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Epidemiology of Medication Errors in Indian Hospital Settings: A Systematic Literature Review.Indian journal of critical care medicine : peer-reviewed, official publication of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine · 2025
    Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Types, trends, and patterns of the reported antimicrobial errors to the eastern region's medical centers in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2023
    Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Binny ThomasMedication Safety and Quality Center, Pharmacy Executive Office, Hamad Medical Corporation, PO Box 3050, Doha, Qatar.
Vibhu PaudyalSchool of Pharmacy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Katie MacLureSchool of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB10 7JG, UK.
Abdulrouf PallivalapilaMedication Safety and Quality Center, Pharmacy Executive Office, Hamad Medical Corporation, PO Box 3050, Doha, Qatar.
James McLayThe Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK.
Wessam El KassemMedication Safety and Quality Center, Pharmacy Executive Office, Hamad Medical Corporation, PO Box 3050, Doha, Qatar.
Moza Al HailMedication Safety and Quality Center, Pharmacy Executive Office, Hamad Medical Corporation, PO Box 3050, Doha, Qatar.
Derek StewartCollege of Pharmacy, Qatar University, Doha, PO Box 2713, Qatar. d.stewart@rgu.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7360-8592

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe aim was to critically appraise, synthesise and present the evidence of medication errors amongst hospitalised patients in Middle Eastern countries, specifically prevalence, nature, severity and contributory factors.

methodsCINAHL, Embase, Medline, Pubmed and Science Direct were searched for studies published in English from 2000 to March 2018, with no exclusions. Study selection, quality assessment (using adapted STROBE checklists) and data extraction were conducted independently by two reviewers. A narrative approach to data synthesis was adopted; data related to error causation were synthesised according to Reason's Accident Causation model.

resultsSearching yielded 452 articles, which were reduced to 50 following removal of duplicates and screening of titles, abstracts and full-papers. Studies were largely from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. Thirty-two studies quantified errors; definitions of 'medication error' were inconsistent as were approaches to data collection, severity assessment, outcome measures and analysis. Of 13 studies reporting medication errors per 'total number of medication orders'/ 'number of prescriptions', the median across all studies was 10% (IQR 2-35). Twenty-four studies reported contributory factors leading to errors. Synthesis according to Reason's model identified the most common being active failures, largely slips (10 studies); lapses (9) and mistakes (12); error-provoking conditions, particularly lack of knowledge (13) and insufficient staffing levels (13) and latent conditions, commonly heavy workload (9).

conclusionThere is a need to improve the quality and reporting of studies from Middle Eastern countries. A standardised approach to quantifying medication errors' prevalence, severity, outcomes and contributory factors is warranted.

Indexed as

HospitalsHumansMedication ErrorsMiddle EastPrevalenceError causationMedication errorsMiddle EastPrescribing errorsSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID31127338

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.