Medication Mix-Up at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Raises Concerns

A parent's experience highlights potential errors in medication dispensing, prompting an investigation in Taiwan.

A concerning incident of potential medication error has surfaced at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan. A parent has shared their experience on social media, reporting that their child, hospitalized for a fever, received medication vials labeled with a different patient's name. Upon inspecting the vials, the parent discovered that only one out of three had the correct label, leading to alarm.

The parent recounted that they initially verified the prescription bag, which correctly displayed their child's name. However, upon administering the medication at home, they noticed another name and patient number on the vial's label. This discovery prompted them to contact the hospital.

While the nursing staff initially maintained that the prescription was correct and the mistake was limited to a labeling error, they have since offered an apology to the family. The 衛生局 (Health Bureau) has announced that it will conduct an investigation into the matter. The hospital has responded by stating that the error was due to mislabeled name stickers and that additional staff training will be implemented to safeguard patient rights.