Medication administration errors from a nursing viewpoint: a formal consensus of definition and scenarios using a Delphi technique

Aims and objectives To develop and achieve formal consensus on a definition of medication administration errors and scenarios that should or should not be considered as medication administration errors in hospitalised patient settings. Background Medication administration errors occur frequently in hospitalised patient settings. Currently, there is no formal consensus on a definition of medication administration errors or scenarios that should or should not be considered as medication administration errors. Design This was a descriptive study using Delphi technique. Methods A panel of experts (n = 50) recruited from major hospitals, nursing schools and universities in Palestine took part in the study. Three Delphi rounds were followed to achieve consensus on a proposed definition of medication administration errors and a series of 61 scenarios representing potential medication administration error situations formulated into a questionnaire. Results In the first Delphi round, key contact nurses’ views on medication administration errors were explored. In the second Delphi round, consensus was achieved to accept the proposed definition of medication administration errors and to include 36 (59%) scenarios and exclude 1 (1·6%) as medication administration errors. In the third Delphi round, consensus was achieved to consider further 14 (23%) and exclude 2 (3·3%) as medication administration errors while the remaining eight (13·1%) were considered equivocal. Of the 61 scenarios included in the Delphi process, experts decided to include 50 scenarios as medication administration errors, exclude three scenarios and include or exclude eight scenarios depending on the individual clinical situation. Conclusion Consensus on a definition and scenarios representing medication administration errors can be achieved using formal consensus techniques. Relevance to clinical practice Researchers should be aware that using different definitions of medication administration errors, inclusion or exclusion of medication administration error situations could significantly affect the rate of medication administration errors reported in their studies. Consensual definitions and medication administration error situations can be used in future epidemiology studies investigating medication administration errors in hospitalised patient settings which may permit and promote direct comparisons of different studies.