Medication errors in the pediatric population occur in both the
inpatient and outpatient settings. According to one study,
pediatric medication errors occur at an approximate rate of 16%
in the outpatient setting.1 It is impossible to list all the
potential medication errors that can occur. In this series, I
will focus on 10 errors that are commonly seen in outpatient
clinics. The medications include acetaminophen, clonidine(Drug
information on clonidine), ketorolac, vaccines,
carbamazepine(Drug information on carbamazepine),
amoxicillin(Drug information on amoxicillin)/clavulanic acid,
ciprofloxacin(Drug information on ciprofloxacin), insulin,
ceftriaxone(Drug information on ceftriaxone), and
hydralazine(Drug information on hydralazine) and
hydroxyzine(Drug information on hydroxyzine). Drug #1:
Acetaminophen Acetaminophen, 90 mg PO q6h prn, was prescribed
for a 6-kg febrile infant with otitis media. The mother obtained
children’s acetaminophen (160 mg/5 mL) from the local pharmacy.
After she opened the produ