Identifying medication errors in surgical prescription charts.
BACKGROUND
Each year 200 million prescriptions for children and adolescents are issued in the UK, with a 1.5 per cent prevalence of errors.


OBJECTIVE
To identify and quantify medication errors on surgical children's prescription charts over a four-month period at two hospital sites.


METHODS
Retrospective review of the prescription charts of 175 children at a children's hospital and a children's unit.


RESULTS
Errors totalled 301, the most common was overwriting of a prescription, the least common was incorrect dates. No resulting adverse events were recorded.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of errors needs to be reduced to avoid serious adverse incidents. Computerised physician order entry systems are discussed as a potential solution.
Simons
Joan
J
Department of Health and Social Care, Faculty of Health and Social Care, The Open University, Milton Keynes.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000451:nursing*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems; D008499:Medical Records; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008510:Medication Systems, Hospital; D009731:Nursing Audit; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D006113:United Kingdom