Medication error during the day and night shift on weekdays and weekends: A single teaching hospital experience in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Summary

This is an analysis of medication errors from January 2018 to December 2019 reported at a university teaching hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, aimed at identifying whether medication errors are significantly different between day shifts, night shifts, during weekdays and weekends.

It found that there was a statistically significant difference between medication errors and day of the week, with a higher number of medication errors happening at the weekend. It also found that during weekends, medication errors were more likely to occur at the night shift compared to the day shift. The authors suggest that timing of medication errors incidence is an important factor to be considered for improving the medication use process and improving patient safety.