Inquiry into the distribution of drugs in a diabetic clinic.
The aim of this study was to investigate possible discrepancies between the drug prescribed and that recorded in the patient's file. A prospective open blind study was conducted with 178 patients included consecutively. We analysed 1011 prescriptions (the median (range) number of drugs per patient was 5 (1-37)) and identified 49 discrepancies (5 per cent of cases). In 18 cases, the drug given to the patient by a nurse was not the drug initially prescribed but the drug recorded in the patient's file was the drug actually given to the patient. In another 31 cases, the drug given to the patient was not the drug initially prescribed, but the drug recorded was that prescribed. This inquiry shows that there may be a discrepancy between the drug initially prescribed and that actually administrated and suggests that poor traceability may affect pharmacological surveillance surveys.
Bouhanick
B
B
Service de Médecine B, CHU Angers, 49033 Angers, France.
Plun-Favreau
J
J
Hadjadj
S
S
Laboureau
S
S
Lainé-Cessac
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies