• R W R Carson, P Jacob, and R McQuillan.
• Department of Palliative Care Medicine, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont, Dublin 9. raymondwcarson@hotmail.com
• Ir Med J. 2009 Sep 1; 102 (8): 257-9.

AbstractThe main aim of our work was to improve the safety of opioid use in our institution, an acute generalhospital with 620 beds. Initially, all reported opioid errors from 2001 - 2006 were audited. The findings directed a range of multidisciplinary staff educational inputs to improve opioid prescribing and administration practice, and encourage drug error reporting. 448 drug errors were reported, of which 54 (12%) involved opioids; of these, 43 (79%) involved codeine, morphine or oxycodone. 31 of the errors (57%) were associated with administration, followed by 12 (22%) with dispensing and 11 (20%) with prescribing. There were 2 reports of definite patient harm. A subsequent audit examined a 17-month period following the introduction of the above teaching: 17 errors were noted, of which 14 (83%) involved codeine, morphine or oxycodone. Again, drug administration was most error-prone, comprising 11 (65%) of reports. However, just 2 (12%) of the reported errors now involved prescribing, which was a reduction.

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