Medication errors in paediatric care: a systematic review of epidemiology and an evaluation of evidence supporting reduction strategy recommendations.
The authors compiled data from more than 30 individual studies describing the distribution of error types common in pediatric patients. Errors were noted across prescribing, dispensing, administering, and documenting activities. Going beyond a previous review, the investigators also evaluated 26 strategies for reducing medication errors and discovered that none of them were based on pediatric evidence. They advocate for greater standardization, particularly with dose ranges, clearer definitions of medication errors, and pediatric-specific implementation of error reduction strategies. A past study commented on the role of hospital pharmacists and computerized provider order entry in this capacity.