OBJECTIVE To evaluate and improve generic drug prescription by family physicians in a regional primary care district with a specially-designed intervention. DESIGN Uncontrolled study of an intervention, based quality evaluation and improvement methods. We selected an indicator that could be constructed with the available data (monthly reports of prescriptions dispensed through the public nati...

OBJECTIVE Electronic health records (EHRs) have potential to improve quality and safety, but many physicians do not use these systems to full capacity. The objective of this study was to determine whether this usage gap is narrowing over time. DESIGN Follow-up mail survey of 1,144 physicians in Massachusetts who completed a 2005 survey. MEASUREMENTS Adoption of EHRs and availability and use of ...

OBJECTIVE This study explores alternative approaches to the display of drug alerts, and examines whether and how human-factors based interface design can be used to improve the prescriber's perception about drug alert presentation, signal detection from noisy alert data, and their comprehension of clinical decision support during electronic prescribing. METHODS We reviewed issues with present...

BACKGROUND Antipsychotic medications are routinely prescribed in nursing homes to address the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Unfortunately, inappropriate prescribing of antipsychotic medications is common and associated with increased morbidity, adverse drug events, and hospitalizations. Multifaceted interventions can achieve a 12-20 % reduction in antipsychotic prescribing ...

BACKGROUND Excessive and inappropriate antibiotic use contributes to growing antibiotic resistance, an important public-health problem. Strategies must be developed to improve antibiotic-prescribing. Our purpose is to review of educational programs aimed at improving antibiotic-prescribing by physicians and/or antibiotic-dispensing by pharmacists, in both primary-care and hospital settings. M...

Objective To examine the effect of attending a medical school with an active policy on restricting gifts from representatives of pharmaceutical and device industries on subsequent prescribing behavior. Design Difference-in-differences approach. Setting 14 US medical schools with an active gift restriction policy in place by 2004. Participants Prescribing patterns in 2008 and 2009 of physicians ...

AIM To determine the adequacy of initial nurse independent prescribing education and identify continuing professional development and clinical governance strategies in place for non-medical prescribing. BACKGROUND In 2006, new legislation in England enabled nurses with an independent prescribing qualification to prescribe, within their competence. In 2006, non-medical prescribing policies rel...

Abstract Introduction: Since prescribing is a new subject in the nursing profession, it is necessary to assess nurses' attitudes to and readiness for this new responsibility. Objective: This study aimed to investigate nurses' attitudes to and readiness for nurse prescribing in teaching hospitals of Tabriz City, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted...

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To examine the incidence of prescribing errors in a main public hospital in Pakistan and to assess the impact of introducing electronic prescribing system on the reduction of their incidence. BACKGROUND Medication errors are persistent in today's healthcare system. The impact of electronic prescribing on reducing errors has not been tested in developing world. DESIGN Pro...