Medication Dispensing Errors in Liquid Dosage Form in Some Iraqi Governorates

Abstract

Domestic measures such as a tea spoon (tsp) and a table spoon (tbsp) may be confusing and result in drug dispensing errors that may eventually lead to adverse consequences, especially with drugs with a small therapeutic window. This study investigates the relationship between the unit of measure used, dispensing errors, and whether household devices mediate this relationship. The results manifested that 95% of error was made by parents when measuring the dose intended by the physician. Moreover, 99.4% made an error in measuring the prescribed dose approved by the standards of USP and BP, and 69% used a nonstandard instrument. It is best to provide standard measures with each liquid drug and avoid using terms like “tablespoon or teaspoon” in patient education as they are confusing terms.