The safe and effective administration of medications is a crucial aspect of healthcare, but unfortunately, medication errors remain a significant threat to patients' safety worldwide. In this context, the use of electronic medical records (EMRs) has emerged as a potential solution to minimize medication errors.

Our hospital, which has four physically separated emergency departments, provides an ideal setting for conducting a controlled clinical study on the effectiveness of EMR in reducing medication errors. A cross-sectional, retrospective, and observational study was conducted to compare the use of EMR versus conventional handwritten records within the same organization.

The majority of existing studies on medication errors have utilized uncontrolled methods or used control groups that are not equivalent to the cases analyzed. However, our study aimed to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive analysis of the impact of EMR on medication errors.

Any system that increases supervision and checking of each step involved in the medication administration process has the potential to improve patients' safety, regardless of its complexity. Our study found that the use of EMRs can significantly reduce medication errors by acting as a safeguard against failures throughout the entire process, from inputting prescription items to their administration.

The Electronic Medical Records (EMR) is not only a support tool for administering medications but also an essential component of patient care. With the development of new medications and aging population, the number of medication errors may grow even more.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2012 alone, events related to medication errors were responsible for over 700 thousand cases of emergency and 120 thousand hospital admissions in the United States, with an estimated expenditure of over $3.5 billion. A significant portion of these events was avoidable.

Medication errors can occur at various stages, including prescription items, communication of prescriptions, product labels, package names, medication composition, distribution, administration, professional training, and supervision. The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP) defines a medication error as the mistaken use or non-administration of a medication that results in harm to the patient, regardless of its severity.

In conclusion, our study demonstrates the potential benefits of using EMR in reducing medication errors. By increasing supervision and checking throughout the medication administration process, EMRs can significantly improve patients' safety and reduce the risk of adverse events. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, it is essential that we adopt innovative solutions like EMRs to minimize medication errors and ensure patient safety.

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