This study aimed to quantify medication error rates over two years in a large animal veterinary teaching hospital and elucidate the nature of these errors. The investigation monitored 226 medication errors occurring across 6,155 large animal visits. Some patients were affected by multiple errors.

Methods

A retrospective review of medication error reports was conducted from March 1, 2021, to March 31, 2023. These errors were systematically classified based on the species involved, the type of drug, and the timing of the error, both monthly and weekly. This categorization adhered to several established systems to facilitate comparative analysis with other research.

Results

Out of 6,155 patient visits over two years, 226 medication errors were recorded. A dedicated large animal pharmacist identified 57.5% (130/226) of these errors, and 64.2% (145/226) were detected and rectified before patient impact. Most errors stemmed from the prescription/ordering phase (58.4% or 132/226), significantly outnumbering preparation (21.7% or 49/226) and administration errors (19.6%). Antibiotics (48.7% or 110/226) and NSAIDs (17.7% or 40/226) were the most frequently implicated drug classes.

The study found that the majority of medication errors occurred during the ordering and prescribing stages, mirroring trends seen in human healthcare. These findings underscore the potential benefits of adopting standardized medication error reporting and prevention strategies in veterinary settings. Such measures could significantly enhance patient safety and treatment outcomes in large animal veterinary practice.