DRUG-RELATED INCIDENTS IN THE HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT. PART I: MEDICATION ERRORS AND DRUG-RELATED PROBLEMS

In recent times, drug-related incidents, such as medication errors, drug-related problems, adverse drug events and adverse drug reactions, have become an important problem mainly in developed countries. These ones may occur in any of the stages of the medication use process that takes place in the hospital environment for every patient. A great measure of such incidents are considered as avoidable according to consulted studies and could be prevented by identifying their causes, and afterwards implementing the practices or strategies that ensure general clinical safety and, in particular drug use safety.