School of Pharmacy


Incident Log
Incident Log


Date of incident: 06/03/2013

Error type: dispensing error

Patient age: 29

Patient sex: female

Brief summary of incident: Read the BNF wrong, didnt realise that the product was a modified release product and changed the dosing frequency of the controlled released form to that of an immediate release causing an overdose.

Name of medication: MST Continus;

Level of harm that could have occurred: 5

The reason you think the potential harm is at the level you have chosen:
The patient would have received an overdose and probably suffered respiratory depression.

Possible cause/contributory factors: Rushing

Reasons why incident occurred and actions required to prevent reoccurence:
Dedicate more time to thoroughly checking the BNF and looking out for once a day and other controlled release preparations.

Best description of this error/near miss:
wrong dose strength
wrong frequency



Back to records