Objective:

To analyze the results of sentinel patient program to monitoring the quality pharmacoterapeutic process in the hospitalized patient through medication errors.

Method:

Design: Observational, prospective and transversal study. Ambit: General hospital of 1,000 beds. Period: From May 2011 to June 2016. Sample: Patients with treatment prescribe within 24 hours of being admitted with 4 or more medications. Variables: Medication error, drugs prescribed, medications and doses dispensing, drugs administered. Safety indicators were defined based on medication errors at each stage of the pharmacotherapeutic process.

Results:

Of the 746 patients studied, 334 had at least 1 medication error (44.8%; IC95%: 41.7-47.8). In the 746 treatments, 564 medication errors were detected (0.75 errors by patient; IC95%: 0.7-0.8). The safety indicators (medication error by stage) were: 5.1% (38/746 patients) for omission of allergy record; 2.3% (156/6 724 drugs) for prescription; 0.6% (38/6 724 drugs) for validation, 2.6% for dispensing (142/5 465 drugs) y 3.7% (190/5 111 administered drugs observed) for administration. The temporal evolution of the indicators, with graphs of statistical control showed stable processes, except for the administration. The proposed improvement actions were of a training, standardization and organizational type.

Conclusions:

The sentinel patient program provides an overview of the quality of the pharmacotherapeutic process and promotes the safety culture at the center. Statistical control charts have been a useful tool for monitoring medication errors. The analysis of medication errors has served to propose improvement actions in each stage of the pharmacotherapeutic process.