Objective: To explore the national survey of hospital medication safety practice during mass gathering (Hajj -2016) in Makkah, Saudi Arabia: Medication preparation and dispensing, the finding of ISMP (2011) self-assessment of medication safety at the hospitals. Methods: It is 15 days cross-sectional national survey of hospital medication safety at Makkah region. The survey modified from Institution of Safe Medication Practice (ISMP) self-assessment of hospital medication safety. It consisted of a demographic section and ten domains with 270 questions. The ten areas included patient information, drug information, communication of medication orders, drug preparation, medication distribution, medication devices, work environment, staff competency, patient education, quality process with risk management domain. The 5-points Likert response scale system used. The survey distributed to sixteen directors of hospital pharmacy during mass gathering Hajj-2016. The medications safety officer at Makkah region distributed the questionnaire and made follow up on a daily basis used physical visiting and through the telephone call. Results: The survey distributed to sixteen hospitals, the response rate, was eleven hospitals (68.75%). The total score of all ISMP-self assessment of medication safety was 3.39 +/-0.51 (67.68 %) with CI (3.2-3.6) P< 0.05. Medication preparation and dispensing included two domains; communication of drug order with scores 3.53 (55%), drug labeling and packaging with scores 3.57 (71.4%). The highest score of two sections the products with look-alike drug names and packaging segregated and not stored alphabetically 4.5 (90%) while the lowest score was a presenting of alerting with computerized physician order entry 2.1 (42%). Conclusion: The standardized medication process during preparation and dispensing is acceptable rate with missing the intravenous admixture and repackaging services. Targeting to continue the level of improvement and correction the missing services is the potential goals in the mass gathering pharmaceutical care during Hajj period. In addition to the annual survey of medication safety during medication preparation and dispensing is a crucial requirement of best medical services provided to all pilgrims in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Key words: Medication Safety, Hajj, Drug, Preparation, Dispensing, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia.