What is the most common medication error?

There are 6 rights to medication delivery. The right patient, right medication, right dosage, right time, right route (where the medication goes), and the right documentation.

Probably the most common mistake is the right time. Nurses in most institutions have a one hour window, 1/2 hour before and 1/2 after the prescribed time to give the medication and it is missed sometimes. Documentation errors cover a large percentage of medication errors as well.

A 2006 study showed that 1.5 million people each year suffered a medication error and 7000 people died as a result of medication errors. Over half of all medication errors occur in nursing homes.