ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Information available on the packaging of drugs indicated for patients electrolytes replenishment differs from one manufacturer to another. They relate, for example, the unit chosen to express elemental electrolyte concentration. These differences constitute a risk factor for medication errors. This article proposes a clinical decision support tool which defines dose equivalences between the oral and injectable formulation galenic forms for medications providing phosphorus, calcium and magnesium and a calculated replenishment ratio. METHODS: The amounts of elemental electrolyte were determined from the information contained on the packaging and the summaries of product characteristics. Only the specialties of our hospital drug formulary were studied. For each element, the replenishment ratio was determined from published data. RESULTS: Equivalence tables were created for the phosphorus, calcium and magnesium between oral and injectable formulation. A clinical decision support tool was developed from these data. CONCLUSION: The use of this tool is a first way to reduce the risk of medication errors. It remains to determine the conditions for its dissemination and evaluation. This issue raises the questions of the exclusive use of the millimole unit on packaging and for prescription, and that of the integration of this type of tool into prescription software and decision support systems.
