What constitutes a medication error?

A medication error is defined as any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use. This includes mistakes that can occur at any stage of the medication process, including prescribing, dispensing, and administering medications. Such events can result from various factors, including human error, miscommunication, or system failures, ultimately compromising patient safety.

The other options pertain to issues that may arise in healthcare settings but do not encapsulate the broader definition of a medication error. Mistakes in patient documentation, while serious, typically relate to record-keeping rather than directly impacting medication administration or use. Miscommunication among healthcare staff can indeed contribute to medication errors but is not itself a medication error unless it leads to a preventable incident affecting medication use. Prescribing a medication that is out of stock reflects issues with inventory management but does not define a medication error on its own unless it causes inappropriate use or administration of an available alternative.