What constitutes a medication error?

A medication error is defined as any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional. Not administering the medication as prescribed is a clear breach of protocol that can lead to a lack of therapeutic effect for which the medication was intended, potentially harming the patient. This includes scenarios such as giving the incorrect dose, omitting a scheduled dose, or administering the medication via the wrong route.

In this context, while administering multiple medications simultaneously, failing to observe changes in a resident's condition, or using expired medication can all have significant repercussions, they do not directly match the specific definition of a medication error as directly as the act of not adhering to the prescribed administration. Each of those situations can compromise patient safety and care, but they do not inherently qualify as a medication error in the strictest terms of medication administration protocol.