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Clinical pharmacy interventions in paediatric electronic prescriptions.
Barbara Maat1, Yuen San Au, Casper W Bollen
1Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, Utrecht 3508 GA, The Netherlands. B.Maat@umcutrecht.nl
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|November 28, 2012
Summary
Clinical pharmacy interventions are crucial for paediatric electronic prescriptions, with most correcting potential adverse events. Optimizing electronic prescribing systems, especially reducing free-text entries, can enhance patient safety and medication accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Pharmacy
- Paediatric Healthcare
- Health Informatics
Background:
- Electronic prescribing systems aim to improve medication safety but may not fully prevent errors.
- Clinical pharmacy interventions play a vital role in identifying and rectifying prescription errors in paediatric patients.
- Understanding the frequency and determinants of these interventions is essential for optimizing paediatric medication management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency and nature of clinical pharmacy interventions in paediatric electronic prescriptions.
- To identify factors influencing the need for interventions in paediatric electronic prescribing.
- To provide evidence-based recommendations for improving paediatric electronic prescribing systems.
Main Methods:
- A prospective cohort study with a nested case-control design was conducted.
- Data were collected from paediatric electronic prescriptions at a tertiary children's hospital.
- Prescriptions requiring intervention (cases) were compared with those not requiring intervention (controls).
Main Results:
- Interventions were made for 1.1% of paediatric electronic prescriptions, predominantly to correct potential adverse events.
- Wrong doses constituted the most common reason for intervention (45%).
- Higher risks of intervention were observed for younger children (1-2 years), free-text prescriptions, and oral dosage forms.
Conclusions:
- Paediatric prescribing errors are frequent despite electronic systems, highlighting the need for enhanced safety measures.
- Minimizing free-text entries and incorporating features like dose checking can improve electronic prescribing quality.
- This study offers insights for refining electronic prescribing to enhance safety and efficiency in paediatric care.
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