On-ward participation of a hospital pharmacist in a Dutch intensive care unit reduces prescribing errors and related patient harm: an intervention study

Table 1 Severity of medication errors

Major divisions	Subcategory	Description
Error, no harm	Category B	Error did not reach the patient, because it was intercepted before or during administration process
	Category C	Error reached the patient but did not cause patient harm
Error, potential preventable ADE	Category D	Error reached the patient and required monitoring to confirm that it resulted in no harm to the patient and/or required intervention to preclude harm
Error, preventable ADE	Category E	Error may have contributed to or resulted in temporary harm to the patient and required intervention
	Category F	Error may have contributed to or resulted in temporary harm to the patient and required initial or prolonged hospitalization
	Category G	Error may have contributed to or resulted in permanent patient harm
	Category H	Error required intervention necessary to sustain life
	Category I	Error may have contributed to or resulted in the patient's death

Adapted from The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention Taxonomy of Medication Errors [28]. ADE, adverse drug events.

ISSN: 1364-8535