Errors in medication in a pediatric ward.

Iatrogenic errors in medication were studied in a busy pediatric ward. The study was based on voluntary reporting of errors noticed by the doctors and nurses in the ward. The error rate was 6.4%. Prescription errors accounted for 37.7% of the errors and 2 of these were potentially fatal. Dispensing errors and missed dosages were other frequent errors. Overcrowding in pediatric wards is an obstacle to optimum patient care. Adequate number of nurses and support of pharmacists is essential for safe and optimum drug therapy.