Drug errors may involve The wrong choice of a drug or a prescription for the wrong dose, frequency, or duration An error in reading the prescription by the pharmacist so that the wrong drug or dose is dispensed An error in reading the label of the drug container by the caregiver so that the wrong drug or dose is given Incorrect instructions to the patient Incorrect administration by a clinician, caregiver, or patient Incorrect storage of a drug by the pharmacist or patient, altering the drug's potency Use of an outdated drug, altering the drug's potency Confusion of the patient so that the drug is taken incorrectly Inaccurate transmission of prescription information between different providers Special subpopulations Errors in prescribing are common, especially for certain populations.