Concomitant prescribing and dispensing errors at a Brazilian hospital: a descriptive study
Clinics
;
66(10): 1691-1697, 2011. ilus, tab
Artigo
em Inglês
| LILACS
| ID: lil-601901
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To analyze the prevalence and types of prescribing and dispensing errors occurring with high-alert medications and to propose preventive measures to avoid errors with these medications.INTRODUCTION:
The prevalence of adverse events in health care has increased, and medication errors are probably the most common cause of these events. Pediatric patients are known to be a high-risk group and are an important target in medication error prevention.METHODS:
Observers collected data on prescribing and dispensing errors occurring with high-alert medications for pediatric inpatients in a university hospital. In addition to classifying the types of error that occurred, we identified cases of concomitant prescribing and dispensing errors.RESULTS:
One or more prescribing errors, totaling 1,632 errors, were found in 632 (89.6 percent) of the 705 high-alert medications that were prescribed and dispensed. We also identified at least one dispensing error in each high-alert medication dispensed, totaling 1,707 errors. Among these dispensing errors, 723 (42.4 percent) content errors occurred concomitantly with the prescribing errors. A subset of dispensing errors may have occurred because of poor prescription quality. The observed concomitancy should be examined carefully because improvements in the prescribing process could potentially prevent these problems.CONCLUSION:
The system of drug prescribing and dispensing at the hospital investigated in this study should be improved by incorporating the best practices of medication safety and preventing medication errors. High-alert medications may be used as triggers for improving the safety of the drug-utilization system.
Texto completo:
DisponíveL
Índice:
LILACS (Américas)
Assunto principal:
Prescrições de Medicamentos
/
Preparações Farmacêuticas
/
Prescrição Inadequada
/
Hospitais Pediátricos
Tipo de estudo:
Guia de Prática Clínica
/
Estudo observacional
/
Estudo de prevalência
/
Fatores de risco
Limite:
Criança
/
Humanos
País/Região como assunto:
América do Sul
/
Brasil
Idioma:
Inglês
Revista:
Clinics
Assunto da revista:
Medicina
Ano de publicação:
2011
Tipo de documento:
Artigo
País de afiliação:
Brasil
/
Reino Unido
Instituição/País de afiliação:
Federal University of Minas Gerais/BR
/
Fundação Hospitalar de Minas Gerais/BR
/
University of London/GB
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