Drug Administration Errors Between Anesthetists: The Burden in Libya

Safe medication preparation and administration is a key part of anaesthesia practice. While anaesthesia practice has become safer, some medication errors can be inevitable leading to devastating complications. There is limited data and research on anaesthesia medication errors in developing economies. This study aims to identify the occurrence of medication errors and examines the associated factors, incident reporting, and preventive measures taken by anaesthetist practitioners in Libya. This was a multicentre; cross-sectional survey study conducted at three tertiary teaching hospitals in Libya from January 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023. An online questionnaire was sent to potential participants. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The findings are expressed as absolute numbers and percentages. 185 completed surveys were returned for analysis (response rate = 84.09%). Anaesthesia technician (90.8%) commonly does medication preparation. 37.8% of respondents experienced one medication error and did not cause any harm to patients. Heavy workload/long hours (18.4%) were identified as the most common contributor to medication error in the operating room. Nearly all respondents 151 (81.6%) strongly agreed that double-checking the medication before administration was the most crucial preventive measure against medication errors. No effective reporting systems were identified. The study results are valuable to implementing and disseminating potential medication error risk mitigation or preventive strategies in developing economies. Enhancing medication administration safety in clinical practice should be a priority for policymakers at local and national levels across all healthcare contexts.