Which of the following is NOT a classification of medication errors?

The classification of medication errors is essential for understanding how such errors occur and how they can be prevented. Dispensing errors, administration errors, and prescribing errors are all recognized categories that describe different points in the medication process where mistakes can occur.

Dispensing errors refer to mistakes made when a medication is prepared for a patient; for example, giving out the wrong dosage or medication. Administration errors occur when a medication is given to a patient incorrectly, such as administering it at the wrong time or through the wrong route. Prescribing errors involve mistakes made during the ordering process, such as prescribing the wrong drug or dosage based on the patient's condition.

While data entry errors can contribute to medication errors, they are typically considered a subset of dispensing errors rather than a separate classification. Data entry errors could lead to any of the above errors occurring but do not represent a distinct category within the broader classifications of medication errors. Thus, identifying data entry errors as NOT a proper classification appropriately distinguishes them from the recognized categories of dispensing, administration, and prescribing errors.