Assessment of Health Care Providers Attitudes and Practices Concerning Medication Errors in Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Medication errors are one of the leading causes of patients’ morbidity and mortality in health care settings

Objective: Assess awareness, attitude and practices of health care providers toward medication errors in Saudi Arabia.

Methodology: Cross-sectional study design was used in the period of three months, from 01 July to 30th November, 2023. participants were selected randomly. 329 health care providers including physicians, pharmacists and nurses working in different hospitals, primary health care centers and private clinics in different regions of Saudi Arabia, participated in the study. Dat was analyzed using Microsoft excel program.

Results: The mean score of good knowledge about medication errors among respondents was 77%, average score of good attitudes toward medication errors among respondents was 72%. 74% of respondents were willing to inform supervisor if they had noticed a medication error. The causes for not reporting medication error were fear of any legal consequences (41%), self-management (23%), busy with work (15%) and did not know whom to inform (21%). Less than half (48%) of study subjects had previously filled an adverse drug reaction form.

Conclusion: Medication errors play a significant role role in the quality of health of our patients. Health care providers in Saudi Arabia have good knowledge and positive attitude toward medication errors. However, medication error reporting is still not sufficiently done.