Common Medical #Prescription #Errors
1. Medical errors are unfortunately common, and they can cause patient harm as well as increased healthcare costs. The idea of this post is not to find fault but to caution healthcare professionals (HCPs) so that these errors can be reduced.
1. Medical errors are unfortunately common, and they can cause patient harm as well as increased healthcare costs. The idea of this post is not to find fault but to caution healthcare professionals (HCPs) so that these errors can be reduced.
2. In an Indian study, out of the total 24,572 medication orders in ICU, 2,624 had prescription errors (PEs), an error rate of 10.7%.
7.2% PEs did not result in patient harm and 3.5% PEs required interventions and/or resulted in patient harm.
#MedTwitter
7.2% PEs did not result in patient harm and 3.5% PEs required interventions and/or resulted in patient harm.
#MedTwitter
3. In Emergency department setting, the prescription error rate was 16.5%. Ref: doi.org/10.1016/j.ajem…
4. Avoid writing abbreviation:
A neurosurgery resident had a needlestick injury, while doing a procedure in an HIV-infected patient (2001). Physician wrote AZT instead of azidothymidine, and the resident ended up taking azathioprine. The error was discovered after a month!
A neurosurgery resident had a needlestick injury, while doing a procedure in an HIV-infected patient (2001). Physician wrote AZT instead of azidothymidine, and the resident ended up taking azathioprine. The error was discovered after a month!
5. Write 0.5 mg instead of .5 mg:
A patient was found to be extremely drowsy in the morning, with no obvious reason. Review of prescription showed alprazolam dose written as .5 mg. Nurse couldn't notice the decimal before 5 & administered 10 tablets of 0.5 mg instead of 1 tablet
A patient was found to be extremely drowsy in the morning, with no obvious reason. Review of prescription showed alprazolam dose written as .5 mg. Nurse couldn't notice the decimal before 5 & administered 10 tablets of 0.5 mg instead of 1 tablet
6. Avoid writing two drugs of the same class:
If a patient is taking metoprolol for #hypertension, it is better to avoid propranolol for essential tremor (as both are beta blockers).
If a patient is taking metoprolol for #hypertension, it is better to avoid propranolol for essential tremor (as both are beta blockers).
7. Review patient’s current medication list:
This can prevent duplication. Patient may already be taking clopidogrel & statin for CAD, and hence, repeating them for stroke prevention might result in patient taking 2 tablets of each (especially if different brands are prescribed)
This can prevent duplication. Patient may already be taking clopidogrel & statin for CAD, and hence, repeating them for stroke prevention might result in patient taking 2 tablets of each (especially if different brands are prescribed)
8. Avoid prescribing un-necessary medicines: Common examples include paracetamol for mild fever, anti-cough medicines, antibiotics for viral fever, vitamin & calcium supplements, pain-killers and anti-acidity medicines.
9. Measures to reduce errors in prescribing:
Electronic prescribing, rational prescribing, legible (capital letter) writing, dose modification in patients with kidney and liver disease, review by seniors and pharmacists.
Electronic prescribing, rational prescribing, legible (capital letter) writing, dose modification in patients with kidney and liver disease, review by seniors and pharmacists.
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