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Effect of computerised prescribing on use of antibiotics
Author(s) -
Newby David A,
Fryer Jayne L,
Henry David A
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2003.tb05164.x
Subject(s) - medical prescription , medicine , pharmacy , audit , family medicine , emergency medicine , pediatrics , pharmacology , management , economics
Objectives: To examine whether the use of current prescribing software systems might raise rates of repeat prescribing, with a consequent increase in use of antibiotics in the community. Design and setting: A prospective audit of consecutive prescriptions for amoxycillin, cefaclor, roxithromycin and amoxycillin/clavulanate presented to community pharmacies in the Hunter region of New South Wales and a follow‐up survey of people who received a repeat prescription, October to November 2000. Main outcome measures: The frequency of repeat prescription ordering on computer‐generated and handwritten prescriptions; the proportion of people who filled their repeat prescription. Results: Data were collected for 1667 prescriptions presented to 35 pharmacies; 126 people who received repeat prescriptions completed the survey. The rate of repeat prescription ordering on computer‐generated prescriptions was 69%, compared with 40% for handwritten prescriptions (odds ratio, 3.3; 95% CI, 2.6–4.2). Computer‐generated repeat prescriptions were as likely to be filled as hand‐written prescriptions (61% and 69%, respectively). Conclusions: The default settings on computerised prescribing packages result in a significant increase in the use of antibiotics. We estimate these settings result in about 500 000 additional prescriptions being filled annually in Australia for the four antibiotics in the study.