Medical Errors in Dentistry, Improving by Knowing and Accepting the Reality

Abstract

Background: A medication error is defined as “any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional, patient, or consumer.” In dental practice, medical errors can occur during various stages of the medication process, including prescription, storage, preparation, treatment, and use. Aim: This study aims to investigate the occurrence rate of medical errors in dental practice and identify factors contributing to their preventability. Study Design: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. Method: Data were collected from the dental records of patients treated at the University Dental Clinics of Tirana, Albania, between January and June 2023. Results: Of the records analyzed, 390 (90%) contained at least one medical error. The frequency of errors ranged from 1.0 to 2.5 errors per record. The most common types of errors were "Transcription of prescriptions" (88%), "Prescription errors" (78%), and "Administration errors" (68%). Antibiotics were specifically examined due to concerns about adverse reactions and antibiotic resistance. The Pearson correlation coefficient for antibiotics was significantly greater than 0 but less than 1. Conclusion: Medical errors are prevalent in dental drug prescriptions. Understanding the types of medical errors and their contributing factors is crucial for optimizing therapy and ensuring patient safety. This study highlights, for the first time in the Albanian dental community, the need to document and address medical errors.