Prescribing errors on admission to hospital and their potential impact: a mixed-methods study

Abstract

Although doctors know the importance of obtaining an accurate medication history and checking prescriptions with patients, they often fail to put this into practice, resulting in prescribing errors.

Non-medical prescribing assessment – An evaluation of a nationally agreed multi method approach

“…With such liberal prescribing legislation patient safety is of paramount importance particularly because prescribing errors have been described as the single most preventable cause of patient harm (Williams, 2007). In the UK, medication errors are the third most common cause of patient safety events (Basey et al, 2014) and internationally prescribing errors are identified as an important cause of increased morbidity and mortality ). An in-depth investigation into the causes of prescribing errors by foundation year (FY) doctors (EQUIP study) reported the prescribing error incidence rate as 8.9% for doctors and 6.9% for nurses .…”

Consequence of delegating medication-related tasks from physician to clinical pharmacist in an acute admission unit: an analytical study

“…Physicians have the knowledge,6 but do not spend much time on collecting information about the patient's medication history 7. Moreover, several studies show that physician-obtained medication histories are often incomplete 1 2 6. In particular, omission of prescribed medicines is a common error 1–4 6.…”

“…Moreover, several studies show that physician-obtained medication histories are often incomplete 1 2 6. In particular, omission of prescribed medicines is a common error 1–4 6. In comparison, studies have reported that clinical pharmacists (CPs) obtain more comprehensive medication histories than physicians 3 4 6 8.…”

“…In particular, omission of prescribed medicines is a common error 1–4 6. In comparison, studies have reported that clinical pharmacists (CPs) obtain more comprehensive medication histories than physicians 3 4 6 8. However, not all discrepancies are clinically significant and medication reconciliation at admission, by itself, may not improve patient outcomes without further intervention 9…”

Provider and Patient Perceptions of an External Medication History Function

“…6 Inaccurate medication histories during transitions in care can lead to increased medication errors and ADEs. [7][8][9] Although some studies have contacted patients postdischarge to ensure accurate medication lists, 10 patients are not always forthcoming about their medication history and adherence. This can make obtaining accurate medication histories difficult for practitioners.…”