ABSTRACT
The object of this study was to compare the drug administration errors on a ward using unit dose drug administration with a control ward using the traditional drug distribution system. Data were collected both before and after using the unit dose drug distribution system between February and May 1994. Single blind study was used in the data collection and data were collected by observation using a proven form and inappropriate work systems on the wards. The study showed that on using the unit dose drug distribution system on the experimental ward for eight weeks, drug administration errors were significantly decreased; average drug administration errors which had been 28.20% when using the traditional drug distribution system fell to 6.88% when using the unit dose drug distribution system. The three leading types of drug administration errors were omission error, wrong dose error and unauthorized drug error. N the unit dose drug distribution system these error rate were 5.74%, 1.00% and 0.14% respectively whereas rates in the traditional drug distribution system were 16.00%, 5.68% and 6.31% respectively. The major causes of drug administration errors in the two drug distribution systems were personnel errors, unskilled staff and inappropriate work systems on the wards.