Examining Medication Error Knowledge, Perceptions, and Attitudes Among Students at a Medical and Health Science University in a Cross-sectional Survey

Background: Improving patient safety is vital, with medication errors posing serious risks. Understanding health professional students’ views on errors is crucial for fostering vigilant patient safety practices among future healthcare providers. Objectives: This study aims to assess healthcare professional students’ knowledge of medication errors, their attitudes toward medication safety, and their perspectives on medication errors. Additionally, it seeks to identify educational gaps and provide recommendations for enhancing healthcare safety practices. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional, self-administered survey study. All students in the university, excluding students from years 1 and 2, were invited to complete an anonymous survey questionnaire addressing attitudes, practices, and views on medical error reporting. Results and Discussion: Our survey involved 282 subjects, with a mean standard deviation (SD) age of 21.2 years (1.26). The mean score was 36.36 (5.2). 66.4% of participants agreed on having knowledge about medication error reporting. 39.4% disagreed with being fearful of getting blamed if they reported a medication error they made. However, a majority of participants, 44.1%, preferred to educate those who made a medication error rather than report it. Conclusion: The participants showed good knowledge and a modest attitude toward reporting medication errors. However, translating this knowledge into practice necessitates additional training in medication safety.