A survey of problem of the prescriptions from the Outpatient Department, Srinagarind Hospital

Abstract

Background : prescribing errors have direct effect on the patients and resulting in the losses of resources, time and expenditure.  The present study was to investigate the prevalence of prescription errors, characteristics of the errors, and the physician’s responses to the notified errors.  These data will be useful for developing the strategies to improve the patient care.

Methods : This is a prospectively descriptive study.  The prescriptions from the outpatient Srinagarind Hospital Department, during October 1, 1998 and September 30, 1999  were examined for the errors by pharmacists and were then categorized according to the error characteristic.

Results : Of the 297,471 prescriptions examined, errors occurred in 1,275 (0.43%). The most frequent prescription errors were related  to the drug potency (30.27%), followed by the errors associated with the drug dosage and use (27.58%), and the drug name (14.77%), respectively. When the errors were notified to the physician, major of them (74.16%) modified in order to correct the prescription.

Conclusions : Prescription errors may lead to fatal treatment outcomes. The present study indicates that the Srinagarind Hospital should be aware of the problems and develop a practical guideline to prevent the prescription error