Medication Errors outside of Healthcare Facilities Have Doubled Since 2000

​National Poison Database System data from 2000 through 2012 show medication errors that occur outside of healthcare facilities (e.g., residences, workplaces, schools) and result in serious medical outcomes have increased 100% over the 13-year period, according to a study published in Clinical Toxicology on July 10, 2017. The overall average rate of these errors was 1.73 per 100,000 population, and the most commonly involved errors included incorrect dosage, administering an incorrect medication, or inadvertently taking the medication twice. The most common medications related to these errors were cardiovascular drugs (21%), analgesics (12%), and hormonal antagonists (11%). According to the study, medication errors are among the leading causes of injury or death, with at least 1.5 million occurrences each year in the United States.