The SIG for the Investigation of Medication Errors in Intensive Care Units (financially supported by BD) sought to determine the prevalence of medication errors in intensive care units, their causes or contributing factors, and strategies to improve medication safety and prevent medication errors. 

Medication errors are recognised as a major patient safety problem. They occur in all stages of the medication management process and have the potential to lead to patient harm, prolonged hospital stays, readmission or even death. Different initiatives to improve medication safety in hospitals have been taken to reach the World Health Organization’s target of globally reducing avoidable harm. Patients admitted to ICUs are more susceptible to medication errors due to the complexity of the treatment they receive.