BACKGROUND Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system with embedded clinical decision support (CDS) can significantly reduce certain types of prescription error. However, prescription errors still occur. Various factors such as the numeric inputting methods in human computer interaction (HCI) produce different error rates and types, but has received relatively little attention. OBJECTIV...

Insulin use among inpatients is high and associated with severe and regular medication errors. An initial baseline audit showed a wide variation in the prescription of intravenous insulin within the trust. These included variation in the choice of fluid prescribed, electrolyte levels not consistently checked, handwritten illegible prescriptions, and varying parameters set for adjustment of the ...

OBJECTIVE This study examined the impact of pharmacists' perceptions of errors in dispensing, errors in communication, delays in prescription processing, efficiency and physical mobility in the pharmacy by practice setting and sociotechnical factors (i.e. pharmacy design, drive through pick-up window services and automated dispensing systems). SETTING Community pharmacy practice in the USA. ...

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of administration errors when transcribing treatments to nurses' administration forms, and to estimate the impact of electronically assisted prescription (EAP) in minimising these errors. METHOD A prospective, observational study in hospitalised patients. In a representative sample changes in treatment in the 24 h before the examination are analysed. Transcripti...

OBJECTIVE Neonates are at high risk for significant morbidity and mortality from medication prescribing errors. Despite general awareness of these risks, mistakes continue to happen. Alerts in computerised physician order entry intended to help prescribers avoid errors have not been effective enough. This improvement project delivered feedback of prescribing errors to prescribers in the neonata...