STRATEGIES FOR REDUCING MEDICATION ERRORS DURING HOSPITALIZATION: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Medication administration is a nursing responsibility, involving nurses, technicians and assistants in providing medication assistance to patients. Medication errors, although preventable, are one of the main causes of health problems globally, contributing to high mortality rates, prolonged hospitalization, negative impact on treatment and increased healthcare costs. This research aims to identify, in scientific publications, strategies to reduce medication errors in hospitalized patients. This is an integrative review with an exploratory nature and a qualitative approach. Studies that address the topic were included, available in full as scientific articles in Portuguese, English and Spanish, published between 2018 and 2023. For the research, descriptors such as “Medication errors” and “Patient safety” on the DECS Portal were used. The review of the two main categories: the main medication errors related to patient safety and strategies to reduce adverse events. The most common causes include a shortage of professionals and work overload, causing errors such as inappropriate schedules, omitted doses, wrong dosages and lack of patient guidance. Among the professionals' suggestions to prevent these errors, training and qualification (92.6%) and the reduction of work overload (69.1%) stand out.