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Published on: July 13, 2019

Reducing prescribing errors in the paediatric intensive care unit: an experience from Egypt

Hala Zakaria Alagha1, Osama Ahmed Badary, Hanan Mohammed Ibrahim

  • 1Department of Clinical pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|March 23, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Clinical pharmacists reduced prescribing errors in a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Interventions significantly lowered error rates and severity, improving patient safety.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Sciences
  • Clinical Pharmacy
  • Patient Safety

Background:

  • Prescribing errors pose a significant risk in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs).
  • Effective interventions are crucial to minimize medication errors and enhance patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of clinical pharmacist-led interventions on prescribing error rates in a PICU.
  • To assess the effect of these measures on the potential severity of prescribing errors.

Main Methods:

  • A pre-post study design was employed in a 12-bed PICU.
  • Chart reviews were conducted to identify and quantify prescribing errors before and after intervention.
  • Interventions included a new order chart, physician education, dosing assistance, and performance feedback.

Main Results:

  • The prescribing error rate decreased significantly from 78.1% preintervention to 35.2% postintervention (p < 0.001).
  • Potentially severe errors reduced from 29.7% to 7% (p < 0.001), and potentially moderate errors from 39.8% to 24.2% (p < 0.001).
  • All types of prescribing errors showed a reduction to varying degrees.

Conclusions:

  • Clinical pharmacist interventions effectively reduced prescribing error rates and their potential severity in a PICU.
  • These activities improved physician-nurse communication, drug knowledge, and error awareness, contributing to enhanced patient safety.
Abstract

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