Computerized prescriber order entry and opportunities for medication errors: comparison to tradition paper-based order entry
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Kenneth G Jozefczyk1, William Klugh Kennedy, Miranda Jackson Lin
1Pharmacy Department, Memorial University Medical Center, Savannah, GA, USA.
Purpose:
Predefined error opportunity categories were used as a surrogate for medication errors to assess the impact of computerized prescriber order entry (CPOE) on the potential for error in the prescribing and order entry phases of the medication-use process.
Methods:
This study was performed in a neonatal intensive care unit at a 535-bed tertiary care center. Pre- and post-CPOE implementation incidence of error opportunity was compared by evaluating 500 orders before and after implementation using 18 predefined criteria.
Results:
A total of 14 913 opportunities for error (OE) existed in our sample of 1000 medication orders. The number of orders with zero OE improved from 42% (n = 209) to 98% (n = 480; P < .0001), in the pre- and postgroups, respectively. The odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was 0.058 (0.036-0.094) in favor of CPOE.
Conclusions:
The implementation of CPOE was associated with a reduction in OEs in the prescribing phase or order entry phase of the medication-use process.
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