[A retrospective study to evaluate the incidence of medication errors occurring in the prescription and transcription steps of the medication use process].

Medication errors occur frequently in many clinical settings. Various studies have highlighted that, together with adverse drug events, they represent one of the major causes of adverse events occurring in hospitals. The aim of this study was to perform a detailed retrospective medical record review in order to investigate the incidence of medication errors occurring in the prescription and transcription phases of the medication use process. Overall, 56 medical records were reviewed to determine the incidence of incomplete or incorrect prescriptions and incorrect transcription by nurses of the original medication order. The findings highlight the need to improve medication safety, in particular at the time of prescription and transcription of orders. The study also confirms that the retrospective review of medical records is an effective method for identifying certain types of medication errors that occur during the prescription and transcription phases. However, this type of review is complex and too costly to be used routinely, for continuous monitoring, in clinical practice.