[Prescription errors--dimension and measures].
BACKGROUND
A prescription should contain sufficient information to dispense the right medicine with correct instructions for use. The information given on the prescription also forms the basis for reimbursement of drug expenses. Knowledge of prescription errors may improve the procedures of the prescribing physician and the pharmacy.


METHODS
Prescriptions without information on the indication of the drug therapy were registered in ten Norwegian pharmacies during two days in the autumn of 2004. Other errors and omissions on prescriptions were registered in nine of the pharmacies during a five week period.


CONCLUSIONS
A total of 1884 (39%) of the 4667 prescriptions included in the first part of the study contained no information on the indication. A total of 1696 other errors and omissions were registered on 1359 (2%) of the 69,315 prescriptions included in the second part of the study. The most common errors and omissions were incomplete instructions for use (26%), missing information about the patient (17%), and errors and omissions related to reimbursement of drug expenses. 294 (17%) of the errors were judged to have potential clinical significance if they had not been corrected. The most common intervention was to interview the patient or to contact the prescribing physician. The most common changes were to change or clarify drug and dose.
Haavik
Svein
S
Institutt for apotekforskning AS, Kalfarveien 31, 5018 Bergen. svein.haavik@farm.uib.no
Horn
Anne Marie
AM
Mellbye
Kari Svane
KS
Kjønniksen
Inge
I
Granås
Anne Gerd
AG
D004346:Drug Information Services / Q000592:standards; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems / Q000592:standards; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009664:Norway; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000592:standards; D017751:Safety Management