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Abstract

Background: Medication errors, prescribing errors, adverse drug events (ADEs), and side effects are critical aspects of drug-related patient safety. These errors can occur at various stages of the medication use process, posing substantial risks to patients. Aims: The objective of this review was to offer comprehensive definitions of key terms in the healthcare domain namely, Medication Errors, Prescribing Errors and Adverse Drug Events, to enhance healthcare practices by promoting a deeper understanding of the distinctions between these terms. Methods: This review explored the existing literature on medication errors, prescribing errors, adverse drug events, and side effects. Multiple databases searched for relevant articles, screened and included. The review summarized definitions and classifications, using a narrative approach to synthesize findings, and case studies were provided for practical understanding. Results: Medication errors are overwhelmed by inconsistent definitions, with at least 26 generic definitions identified in the literature. These variations hinder effective communication and research reliability. Standardizing terminology and definitions is crucial for enhancing research quality and patient safety. Prescribing errors encompass errors during the prescription stage and feature varying definitions, with Dean et al.'s comprehensive definition considered a benchmark. ADEs are undesirable outcomes of medical treatment, encompassing actual harm, preventable harm, and non-preventable harm categories. Adverse drug reactions, a subset of ADEs, result from a medication's pharmacological properties. Side effects are secondary effects of treatments, with varying severity and expectedness. Distinguishing between medication errors, ADEs, and ADRs is essential for patient safety and research precision. Conclusions: The definitions of medication errors, prescribing errors, adverse drug events, and side effects vary widely across studies, leading to a lack of consensus in the field. The need for standardized, clear-cut definitions is emphasized to improve research validity and enhance medication safety. Additionally, the review distinguished between ADEs and medication errors, highlighting that ADEs can result from factors beyond healthcare providers' control. Also, the difference between side effects and ADE was presented as these terms are mistakenly used interchangeably.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.59049/2790-0231.1204

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