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Hospital prescribing errors: epidemiological assessment of predictors
Author(s) -
Fijn R.,
Van den Bemt P. M. L. A.,
Chow M,
De Blaey C. J.,
De JongVan den Berg L. T. W.,
Brouwers J. R. B. J.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
british journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.216
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1365-2125
pISSN - 0306-5251
DOI - 10.1046/j.0306-5251.2001.bjcp1558.doc.x
Subject(s) - medicine , epidemiology , medical prescription , specialty , retrospective cohort study , emergency medicine , family medicine , nursing
Aims To demonstrate an epidemiological method to assess predictors of prescribing errors. Methods A retrospective case‐control study, comparing prescriptions with and without errors. Results Only prescriber and drug characteristics were associated with errors. Prescriber characteristics were medical specialty (e.g. orthopaedics: OR: 3.4, 95% CI 2.1, 5.4) and prescriber status (e.g. verbal orders transcribed by nursing staff: OR: 2.5, 95% CI 1.8, 3.6). Drug characteristics were dosage form (e.g. inhalation devices: OR: 4.1, 95% CI 2.6, 6.6), therapeutic area (e.g. gastrointestinal tract: OR: 1.7, 95% CI 1.2, 2.4) and continuation of preadmission treatment (Yes: OR: 1.7, 95% CI 1.3, 2.3). Conclusions Other hospitals could use our epidemiological framework to identify their own error predictors. Our findings suggest a focus on specific prescribers, dosage forms and therapeutic areas. We also found that prescriptions originating from general practitioners involved errors and therefore, these should be checked when patients are hospitalized.