Prevalence, Characteristics, and Outcomes of Drug Administration Errors among Anesthesia Providers in Namibia - A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Drug administration errors are widespread in healthcare and are a major reason for malpractice claims against anesthesia service providers. The outcomes of medication errors range from no harm to grievous events such as intensive care admissions or death; nonetheless, they are preventable. In this survey, we determined the prevalence and characteristics of drug errors among anesthesia practitioners in Namibia, identified the contributing factors, and assessed their outcomes for patients. Methods: We used a cross-sectional design. A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to anesthesia service providers (specialist anesthesiologists, anesthesia registrars, and medical officers) across the 34 public hospitals and 18 private hospitals in Namibia over a period of one month. Results: Out of 122 questionnaires distributed, 112 (92%) anesthesia providers responded. A higher percentage were female (52%), and most were medical officers (56%). Among the respondents, 79% had experienced one or more medication errors during their anesthesia practice. The most common type was omission (46%), followed by the administration of a wrong drug (27%). In 69% of cases, there was no harm to the patients, while 6% had intensive care unit admissions and 1 (0.9%) died. Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of medication errors during anesthesia practice in Namibia, most due to fatigue or distractions. Most errors did not cause harm to the patients. It is imperative to increase awareness and training for prevention as well as to establish a nationally coordinated incident reporting system.