Paucity of Evidence on Medication Error Prevalence in Community Pharmacies in Nigeria and Indonesia: A Case Report

Abstract

Medication errors are known to cause preventable patient harm and negatively impact nations' mortality rates. They can occur in community pharmacies because community pharmacies are known to engage in medication use practices. The case report seeks to alert relevant stakeholders to the paucity of evidence on the prevalence of medication errors in Nigeria and Indonesia.

A mixed-method systematic review of the prevalence of medication errors in community pharmacies was conducted. Six databases were searched for relevant studies. Reports on both quantitative and qualitative studies were sought. Criteria for inclusion of studies included peer-reviewed articles. Pre-prints, articles in press, and conference reviews were excluded. Covidence was employed to screen the articles.

Three of the databases elicited no response for available studies on the prevalence of medication errors in community pharmacies in Nigeria and Indonesia. The remaining three databases elicited eleven studies after the completion of the search and removal of duplicates by Covidence. A screening of the studies revealed no study meeting the stated criteria for inclusion.

There is a paucity of evidence on the prevalence of medication errors in community pharmacies in Nigeria and Indonesia. Relevant stakeholders are alerted, and research into this is recommended.