A medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer.
The FDA frequently reviews and analyzes reports of medication errors on marketed human drugs including prescription drugs, generic drugs, and over-the-counter drugs that come through MedWatch, which is the FDA's adverse event reporting program. FDA also conducts pre-marketing reviews of all proprietary drug names, labeling and packaging to minimize the potential for confusion. Furthermore, FDA educates the public about medication error prevention through public health advisories, medication guides and outreach partnerships with other organizations.