Drugs mix-ups cost the NHS £75million in five years after blunders affecting 800 patients.
In 102 cases the patient died. Some were given the wrong drug or wrong dose.
Others fell ill because drugs taken orally were injected. A Lincolnshire patient died after being given 10 times too much medication.
And a woman died at Wycombe Hospital after taking being given someone else’s pills.
Errors on children’s wards were logged 23 times, while 61 payouts related to casualty and A&E.
Compensation hit £42.3million, with legal fees of £32.2million.
Peter Walsh, from the charity Action against Medical Accidents, said: “Medication errors are one of the most common incidents that cause harm in the NHS. They are also one of the most avoidable.
“There simply has not been enough progress and this is resulting in untold misery and avoidable deaths.
“Those that end up as a claim are only the tip of the iceberg.
"It is only right that people should be compensated fully in these circumstances but prevention is better than any remedy and we must see urgent action to prevent these tragedies.”
The NHS said: “Incidents are, thankfully, rare. When they happen, hospitals investigate, learn and minimise risks.”
