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Errors on doctors' prescriptions
Abstract:
All prescriptions dispensed by one pharmacist during one month were examined for errors. Only 5.1 per cent of 2,237 prescription forms contained an error which meant the pharmacist had to contact the doctor. Thirty-seven per cent of prescriptions were either wholly or partly written by the receptionist. There was considerable variation between doctors and this varied from zero to 64 per cent; 4.0 per cent of prescriptions written by the doctor contained errors while those written by the receptionist were almost twice as likely (seven per cent) to do so. The majority of mistakes were obvious and trivial but five were potentially serious.It is recommended that if doctors expect their receptionists to write prescriptions they should ensure that they are adequately trained to do so. The pharmacist can be a valued and trusted colleague who serves to protect patients from doctors' errors.
Insights
Pharmacist review of 2,237 prescriptions found errors in 5.1%, with receptionist-written prescriptions being twice as likely to contain mistakes. Adequate receptionist training is recommended to improve prescription accuracy and patient safety.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy Practice
- Medication Safety
- Healthcare Administration
Background:
- Prescription errors pose a significant risk to patient safety.
- The role of non-physician staff in prescription writing is increasing.
- Pharmacists play a crucial role in identifying and preventing medication errors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the frequency and types of errors in prescriptions dispensed by a single pharmacist over one month.
- To compare error rates between prescriptions written by doctors and those written by receptionists.
- To assess the potential impact of prescription errors on patient safety.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of 2,237 prescription forms dispensed by one pharmacist.
- Categorization of errors based on whether the prescription was written by a doctor or a receptionist.
- Assessment of the severity of identified prescription errors.
Main Results:
- 5.1% of all prescriptions contained errors requiring pharmacist intervention.
- 37% of prescriptions were wholly or partly written by receptionists.
- Prescriptions written by receptionists had a 7% error rate, nearly double the 4% error rate for doctor-written prescriptions.
- Five potentially serious errors were identified among the trivial and obvious mistakes.
Conclusions:
- Receptionist involvement in prescription writing is common but associated with higher error rates.
- Adequate training for receptionists in prescription writing is essential to minimize errors.
- Pharmacists serve as a critical safety net, protecting patients from prescription errors made by physicians and their staff.