Evaluation of prescribing medication errors in a pediatric outpatient pharmacy
Journal Title: International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health - Year 2017, Vol 6, Issue 11
Abstract
Background: The use of medication is a complex process and the health-care providers discovered more problems facing this process at different many stages including prescriber, pharmacists, and finally patients. It is expected that the rate of errors in prescriptions will be higher for pediatrics compared with other population due to multiple factors (e.g., medications dosing, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics). Objective: To evaluate the pattern of medication prescribing errors in the pediatric outpatient clinics and assess the type of prescribing errors. In addition, to evaluate the most prevalent type of medication category that is associated with prescribing errors. Materials and Methods: In our study, all outpatient prescriptions that were processed and dispensed for pediatric patients (<14 years old), flagged with medication clarification record were retrieved to be included in the analysis. Demographic data (age, gender, allergy status, and diagnosis), in addition to medication and error characteristics (number of medication per prescription, number of medication prescribing error per prescription, types of medication prescribing error), and medications category (e.g., antimicrobials, cardiac, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, analgesics, electrolytes, and topical) were collected. Results: Results showed that the most common type of medication errors was missing diagnosis in the prescription and incorrect dose with 59.6% and 54.1%, respectively. The mean age of both genders was 5.5 years (±4.3). The most common categories of medication involved were neurological medications, antipyretic, analgesic, and antimicrobials with 20.8%, 17.5%, and 15%, respectively. The number of high-alert medications in the detected medication/s error was 0.60%. Conclusion: The rate of documented pediatric outpatient prescribing errors by outpatient pharmacists was was 0.57%. In which, missing diagnosis was the most common type of prescribing errors followed by incorrect dose. In addition, the highest medication group that has prescribing error is neurological medications followed by analgesics.
Authors and Affiliations
Khalid Alsulaiman, Majed Aljeraisy, Shmeylan Alharbi, Ibrahim Alsulaihim, Maha Almolaiki
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP332800
- DOI 10.5455/ijmsph.2017.0718621092017
- Views 86
- Downloads 0
Clinical features of depression in the elderly and younger patients at tertiary care center of Saurashtra, India - A comparative study
Background: Depression in the elderly has serious consequences such as poor quality of life, dependency, increases comorbidity, and premature death. Symptom profile of depression in the elderly was not extensively resear...
Compare the efficacy of ropivacaine and bupivacaine with fentanyl for epidural labor analgesia
Background: Attempts have been made to reduce or eliminate the pain associated with labor since ancient time. Obstetrics analgesia reached a new phase with lumbar epidural analgesia. We carried out a randomized study to...
Physical activity among Saudi Board residents in Aseer region, Saudi Arabia
Background: It is recognized that the health of physicians directly impacts the health of the larger population. Therefore, it is desirable that physicians lead a favorable lifestyle not only for their own health but...
Pattern of external and internal findings in deaths owing to hanging—a study in northeast Delhi
Background : Hanging is a common form of asphyxial deaths. A complete profile of findings is helpful in making exact diagnosis of hanging and differentiating it from strangulation. Objective : To assess the complete...
Acute effect of uphill and downhill treadmill walk on cardiovascular response and perceived exertion in young sedentary individual
Background: Systematic exercise is an essential component for health promotion and improvement of the quality of life. Exercise that emphasizes on the eccentric (lengthening) skeletal muscle contractions has recently gai...