{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]],"date-time":"2026-06-08T07:57:40Z","timestamp":1780905460047,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (WHO\/EMRO)","issue":"5","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["East Mediterr Health J."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Antimicrobial resistance is a challenge in Egypt and the potential contributors are medication errors and drug therapy problems involving antimicrobial agents.\nAim: To analyse, for corrective actions, antimicrobial-related drug therapy and management errors reported to the Egyptian National Office for Handling and Reduction of Medication Errors.\nMethods: We analysed data on antimicrobial-related drug therapy and management error reported to the National Office for Handling and Reduction of Medication Errors by 46 hospitals in 2 Egyptian governorates between January 2020 and November 2024. Using descriptive statistics, and based on the WHO access, watch and reserve classification, we summarised the error types and antimicrobial agents involved.\nResults: Of the 162 638  valid error reports, 57 592 (35.4%) involved antimicrobials, of which 98.2% were combined drug therapy and management errors. The most common errors were related to prescription   (96.7%), including   dosing  regimen (43.1%) and incorrect indication (33.8%). The most frequently implicated agents were ampicillin\/sulbactam (12.0%), levofloxacin (11.5%), ceftriaxone (9.0%), and cefotaxime (7.2%). Watch group antibiotics accounted for 65.4% of the errors, followed by access (27.8%) and reserve (5.7%).\nConclusion: Our findings provide important baseline data for strengthening antimicrobial stewardship in Egypt. Appropriate policies are needed to minimise antimicrobial-related errors, improve rational use of antimicrobials, strengthen antimicrobial surveillance, and mitigate the risk of inappropriate watch group prescriptions in Egypt.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.26719\/2026.32.5.325","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]],"date-time":"2026-06-08T06:57:43Z","timestamp":1780901863000},"page":"325-332","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Medication errors and therapy problems may drive antimicrobial resistance in Egypt"],"prefix":"10.26719","volume":"32","author":[{"given":"Hebatalla M.","family":"Abdulaziz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Drug Utilization and Pharmacy Practice General Administration, Central Pharmaceutical Care Administration, Egyptian Drug Authority, Cairo, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yasmein","family":"Yehya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Drug Utilization and Pharmacy Practice General Administration, Central Pharmaceutical Care Administration, Egyptian Drug Authority, Cairo, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulrahman M.","family":"Amin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Drug Utilization and Pharmacy Practice General Administration, Central Pharmaceutical Care Administration, Egyptian Drug Authority, Cairo, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lamis","family":"Diaa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Drug Utilization and Pharmacy Practice General Administration, Central Pharmaceutical Care Administration, Egyptian Drug Authority, Cairo, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shimaa","family":"Nasr Eldeen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Drug Utilization and Pharmacy Practice General Administration, Central Pharmaceutical Care Administration, Egyptian Drug Authority, Cairo, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abeer","family":"Elbehairy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Drug Utilization and Pharmacy Practice General Administration, Central Pharmaceutical Care Administration, Egyptian Drug Authority, Cairo, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shimaa S.","family":"Emam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Drug Utilization and Pharmacy Practice General Administration, Central Pharmaceutical Care Administration, Egyptian Drug Authority, Cairo, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shereen M.","family":"Abdelgawad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Drug Utilization and Pharmacy Practice General Administration, Central Pharmaceutical Care Administration, Egyptian Drug Authority, Cairo, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"11263","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]]},"container-title":["Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/applications.emro.who.int\/EMHJ\/V32\/05\/1020-3397-2026-3205-325-332-eng.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]],"date-time":"2026-06-08T06:57:44Z","timestamp":1780901864000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/applications.emro.who.int\/EMHJ\/V32\/05\/1020-3397-2026-3205-325-332-eng.pdf"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.26719\/2026.32.5.325","relation":{},"ISSN":["1020-3397","1687-1634"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1020-3397","type":"print"},{"value":"1687-1634","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]]}}}