ArticlePharmacy practice
Dispensing errors in Lebanese community pharmacies: incidence, types, underlying causes, and associated factors.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Medication errors in community pharmacies: a systematic review of the international literature.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Assessing community pharmacists' practices and strategies to minimize medication dispensing errors: a Jordanian study.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2026Article
- Analysis of Drug Product Dispensing Error Characteristics, Construction and Evaluation of a Risk Warning Model in Outpatient Pharmacy: A Retrospective Study in China.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2025Article
- Trends in dispensing errors reported in Finnish community pharmacies in 2015-2020: a national retrospective register-based study.BMC primary care · 2024Article
- A refined management system focusing on medication dispensing errors: A 14-year retrospective study of a hospital outpatient pharmacy.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2023Article
- Pharmacist Role in Hypertension Management in the Community Setting: Questionnaire Development, Validation, and Application.Patient preference and adherence · 2023Article
- Upscaling the pharmacy profession: Knowledge and willingness of the Lebanese pharmacists to practice the administration of dermal fillers.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2022Article
- Evaluation of rational prescribing in a hospital paediatric outpatient clinic in Nigeria.BMJ paediatrics open · 2022Observational
- Evaluation of Drug Use Pattern in Pediatric Outpatient Clinics in a Tertiary Teaching Hospital Using WHO Drug-Prescribing Indicators.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2022Article
- Community Pharmacy Dispensing Errors: A Comprehensive Systematic Review on Trends and Solutions.Journal of research in pharmacy practiceReview
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2 authors.
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Abstract
objectivesTo assess the incidence, types, the causes of as well as the factors associated with dispensing errors in community pharmacies in Lebanon.
methodsAn observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 286 pharmacies located all over Lebanon. Data were collected by senior pharmacy students during their experiential learning placement. Collected data included information on the types of dispensing errors, the underlying causes of errors, handling approaches, and used strategies for dispensing error prevention. Data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression to determine factors that were associated with dispensing errors.
resultsIn the twelve thousand eight hundred sixty dispensed medications, there were 376 dispensing errors, yielding an error rate of 2.92%. Of these errors, 67.1% (252) corresponded to dispensing near-miss errors. The most common types of dispensing errors were giving incomplete/incorrect use instructions (40.9% (154)), followed by the omission of warning(s) (23.6% (89)). Work overloads/time pressures, illegible handwriting, distractions/interruptions, and similar drug naming/packaging were reported as the underlying causes in 55% (206), 23.13% (87), 15.15 % (57), and 7% (26) of the errors respectively. Besides, high prescription turnover volume, having one pharmacist working at a time, and extended working hours, were found to be independent factors that were significantly associated with dispensing errors occurrence (p<0.05).
conclusionsThis study sheds light on the need to establish national strategies for preventing dispensing errors in community pharmacies to maintain drug therapy safety, considering identified underlying causes and associated factors.
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