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Illegibility of prescriptions: some worrisome implications
Veterinary and Human Toxicology
|February 1, 1980
Summary
Illegible prescriptions lead to significant prescription error rates and increased time for pharmacists. Even with over 14 seconds spent per drug order, nearly 30% of interpretations were incorrect, impacting patient safety and healthcare costs.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Patient Safety
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Illegible handwriting on prescriptions poses a significant challenge in healthcare settings.
- Potential for medication errors and increased workload for healthcare professionals is a concern.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the impact of prescription illegibility on error rates.
- To assess the effect of illegibility on the time required for prescription fulfillment.
Main Methods:
- An experimental study was conducted to evaluate prescription interpretation.
- Time spent and accuracy of interpretation were recorded for each prescription.
Main Results:
- Nearly 30% of prescription interpretations were erroneous.
- Over 14 seconds were expended on average for each prescription interpretation, despite errors.
Conclusions:
- Prescription illegibility contributes to a high rate of interpretation errors.
- These errors have serious implications for patient care, potential negligence claims, and associated costs.