What is a medication error?

A medication error refers specifically to a preventable mistake that occurs at any stage of the medication process, which includes prescribing, dispensing, and administering medication. This definition emphasizes that these errors can lead to harmful consequences for the patient and can occur due to various factors like miscommunication, misunderstanding, or oversight by healthcare professionals.

In contrast, an unintentional side effect of a drug treatment involves adverse reactions that are not caused by mistakes or negligence but rather are inherent to the medication itself. Similarly, administering a correct dosage while still being part of the medication process does not reflect an error, as it indicates proper adherence to dosage guidelines. A documented drug allergy in a patient provides critical safety information for healthcare providers and does not involve any error in prescribing or administration of medication. Therefore, the identification of a medication error is focused on preventable mistakes that compromise patient safety.