According to Finnish community pharmacists, the introduction of ePrescriptions has promoted medication safety in many areas. However, ambiguities and errors are common in ePrescriptions. Some of these can delay dispensing of the medicine, whereas others can cause serious risks to medication safety.
According to the Finnish physicians interviewed, ePrescriptions have facilitated prescribing in some respects. However, the ePrescribing system still has problems and the Prescription Centre cannot be fully used for the management of a patient's overall medication.
Objectives
To investigate the frequency of e‐prescriptions containing prescription anomalies (=errors, ambiguities and other shortcomings), and the types of e‐prescription anomalies occurring in Finnish community pharmacies. Further objectives were to investigate how these anomalies were clarified, together with the time required, as well as the effects such anomalies had in the pharmacies concerned.
Methods
During the 3‐day study period in 2017, 54 community pharmacies reported all e‐prescription anomalies found by pharmacists during medicine dispensing.
Key findings
Of the 41 170 e‐prescriptions dispensed during the study period, 2978 (7.2%) contained anomalies. The most common anomalies were the fact that the dosage instructions were written using abbreviations (63.7%) and that the purpose of the medicine was missing altogether (28.4%). In most cases where the e‐prescription contained anomalies (85.9%) the anomalies were clarified. Most anomalies were clarified at the pharmacy by writing out the abbreviations in the dosage instructions (69.6%) or with the customer (23.4%). The average time taken by pharmacists to clarify the anomalies was 1.8 min per e‐prescription. Anomalies caused problems in 39.6% of the cases. Most often, the anomalies increased the pharmacy's workload (55.9%) and it took longer to serve the customer (51.4%).
Conclusions
E‐prescription anomalies are quite common in Finland, indicating that there is a need to improve the quality of e‐prescribing. The e‐prescribing system should be further developed to encourage prescribers to issue more complete e‐prescriptions and in this way improve medication safety and make medicine dispensing easier and more efficient.
Objectives
A fully operational and nationwide electronic prescription (ePrescription) system has been implemented by law in Finland. The aim was to explore the impact of ePrescription on the job descriptions of pharmaceutical and technical staff in Finnish community pharmacies from the pharmacy owners’ perspective. The effects of ePrescription on measures related to equipment and furnishings in pharmacies were also explored.
Methods
A postal survey was conducted among a random sample of Finnish pharmacy owners (n = 191) in 2014. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed.
Key findings
The final study material consisted of 155 questionnaires (81% response rate). In many pharmacies the use of ePrescription had affected the job descriptions of technical (73.9%) and pharmaceutical staff (47.4%), and the pharmacy owner's own use of time (44.4%). Prescription processing had decreased among technical staff (92.9%) and increased among pharmaceutical staff (42.3%). Prescription processing and dispensing had become quicker. The implementation of ePrescription had not affected the size of the staff in most of the pharmacies (72.1%). ePrescription had resulted in measures related to furnishings and/or equipment in 60.6% of the pharmacies. Most often, computer equipment had been updated (66.0%) or more computers had been purchased (59.6%).
Conclusions
The implementation of ePrescription has had an impact on the job descriptions of pharmacy staff in Finnish community pharmacies. Particularly affected has been the job description of technical staff, who now process fewer prescriptions. The transition to the new technology has also necessitated investment in computer equipment and furnishings for dispensing work at pharmacies.
Objective
To explore the impact of electronic prescriptions (ePrescriptions) on the dispensing process in Finnish community pharmacies.
Methods
A survey of a random sample of dispensers (B.Sc. in Pharmacy) (n = 1004) and pharmacists (M.Sc. in Pharmacy) (n = 228) was conducted in 2014.
Key findings
Altogether, 778 questionnaires were analysed, giving response rates of 64% (n = 635) for dispensers and 65% (n = 143) for pharmacists. According to the respondents, prescription renewal (75%), transferring prescription data into the pharmacy data system (75%), receiving a prescription (73%), checking prescription information (62%) and making dispensing entries concerning the prescription (58%) have become easier with ePrescriptions. However, correcting dispensing entries afterwards (78%), correcting one's own processing errors made during dispensing (77%), correcting errors on the prescription caused by the physician (73%) and cancellation of medicine dispensing (64%) have been hindered. Technical problems in using ePrescriptions were most often experienced less than once a month.
Conclusions
Some parts of the dispensing process have become easier, whereas making corrections to the prescription has been hindered with ePrescriptions. Thus, the ePrescription system needs further development to ensure the easy and efficient use of ePrescriptions in the future.
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