Abstract
Background: Accurate medication prescribing is an important process in ensuring the best possible outcomes in patient care. Worldwide literature is replete with studies reporting high prevalence of prescribing error which are the most common type of avoidable medication errors and hence are an important target for improvement.
Objectives: This study assessed types and prevalence of prescribing errors, their clinical significance, when in the prescribing process they occurred and the medications commonly associated with prescribing errors.
Methods: A retrospective review of 2010 in-patients’ records from medical and paediatric specialties of a tertiary hospital in South West Nigeria was undertaken. Prescriptions that met the standard as enumerated in the Nigeria Standard Treatment Guideline (STG) were assessed. Prescription error rates for potentially clinically serious and total errors were determined.
Results: The total prescribing error rate was 40.9% (95% CI 37.8 to 41.4) with 1.3% (95% CI -1.1 to 3.7) being clinically serious. Omitting to write an ending date or duration for therapy and unsafe abbreviations were the most common errors. Prescriptions involving antimicrobials produced the bulk of errant prescriptions.
Conclusion: Prescribing errors were found to be common. There was poor compliance with the Nigeria Standard Treatment Guidelines which outline the essential elements of a prescription. Continuing prescriber education on proper prescription writing and rational drug use is recommended as a way to reduce prescribing errors.
Keywords: Prescriptions, patients, medication errors, physicians
Résumé
Contexte: Le précis de prescription de médicaments est un processus important pour assurer des de meilleurs résultats possibles dan les soins donnés aux patients. Les documentations de par le monde sont remplies de rapports d’études sur le haut degré de prescription erronées évitables de médicaments du type le plus souvent commun et qui sont donc une cible importante pour l’amélioration.
Objectifs: Cette étude a évalué les types et la fréquence des erreurs de prescription, l’importance de leur impact dans les cliniques, au cours du processus de la prescription erronée courante des médicaments qui leur sont associée.
Méthodes: Une étude rétrospective en 2010 des rapports de spécialités médicaux et pédiatriques de patients hospitalisés d’un hôpital de soins tertiaires du Sud-ouest du Nigeria a été faite. Les prescriptions qui répondaient à la norme telles qu’énumérées dans la directive de traitement standard au Nigeria (STG) ont été évalués. Le taux de prescription erronée pouvant être cliniquement graves et les erreurs totales ont été déterminés.
Résultats: Le taux de prescription erronée ayant de gravité médicale était au total de 40,9% (IC à 95% de 37,8 à 41,4) à 1,3% (IC 95% -1,1 à 3,7). Outre l’indication de la date d’expiration ou de la durée de la thérapie, de graves abréviations sont des erreurs les plus souvent observées. Les prescriptions sur les antimicrobiens sont pour la plus part les prescriptions courantes.
Conclusion: Les prescriptions erronées sont monnaies courante. Il y avait une faible conformité aux directives de traitement standard au Nigeria décrivant les éléments essentiels d’une prescription. La formation continue des prescripteurs sur la bonne manière bonne de prescrire et l’utilisation rationnelle des médicaments est recommandée afin de réduire des prescriptions erronées.
Correspondence: Mrs. Adetutu A. Ajemigbitse, Department of Pharmacy, National Hospital Abuja, Federal Capital Territority, Nigeria, E-mail: tutsade2002@yahoom.com
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