Much of the problem in drug administration is a breakdown of communication. Preventable medication errors occur because systems for safety prescribing and ordering medication are not appropriately used. A few of the most common causes of errors include:
Illegible handwritten prescriptions
Insufficient or missing information
Incorrect drug or dose
When prescriptions are transmitted orally, they can sound like other medication names
Prescription is never transmitted to the pharmacy or a prescription is never filled by the patient