Figure 2. Commonly studied medication errors as causes of adverse drug events (ADEs): percent of ADEs for each cause

Study: Bates DW, Boyle DL, Vander Vliet MB, et al. Relationship between medication errors and adverse drug events. J Gen Intern Med 1995;10(4):199-205.

Dose error: 31.0%
Known allergy: 4.0%
Wrong drug/patient: 4.0%
Route error: 10.0%
Frequency: 17.0%

Study: Leape LL, Bates DW, Cullen DJ, et al. Systems analysis of adverse drug events. JAMA 1995;274(1):35-43.

Dose error: 28.0%
Known allergy: 8.0%
Wrong drug/patient: 9.0%
Route error: 2.0%
Frequency: 6.0%

Study: Lesar TS, Briceland L, Stein DS. Factors related to errors in medication prescribing. JAMA 1997;277(4):312-7.

Dose error: 58.3%
Known allergy: 12.9%
Wrong drug/patient: 5.4%
Route error: 3.3%

Study: Thomas EJ, Studdert DM, Newhouse JP, et al. Costs of medical injuries in Utah and Colorado. Inquiry 1999;36(3):255-64.

Dose error: 7.9%
Known allergy: 5.7%
Wrong drug/patient: 20.9%
Frequency: 4.6%

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