Knowledge, attitude and practice on medication error reporting among health practitioners in a tertiary care setting in Saudi Arabia

Objectives: To assess knowledge, attitudes and practices towards the reporting of medication errors among health practitioners at King Abdulaziz Medical city in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted in a convenient sample of 62 physicians and 303 nurses, between June and September 2017 at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Results: The sample consisted of 365 subjects, with a response rate of 73%. Approximately 97% had sufficient knowledge and a favorable attitude (90%) towards medication error reporting. With regard to reporting practices, some participants (21.6%) preferred to educate those who made a medication error, rather than reporting it. Approximately 44.8% had not reported medication errors during their work experience.

Conclusion: Study participants demonstrated a sufficient knowledge base with regard to medication error reporting. Despite sufficient knowledge and favorable attitudes towards medication error reporting, there is still an under-reporting of medication errors when it comes to practice. We recommend the establishment of frequent medication safety courses as a prerequisite for all health care providers. We also advocate the application of error detecting alarms such as digital programs to minimize medication errors.