title: Electronic prescribing reduces prescribing error in public hospitals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective review of medication and discharge medication charts before and after the introduction of an electronic inpatient record and prescribing system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inpatient records (n = 3300) and 1100 discharge medication sheets were reviewed for prescribing errors before and after the installation of electronic prescribing system in 11 wards.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Medications (13,328 and 14,064) were prescribed for inpatients, among which 3008 and 1147 prescribing errors were identified, giving an overall error rate of 22·6% and 8·2% throughout paper-based and electronic prescribing, respectively. Medications (2480 and 2790) were prescribed for discharge patients, among which 418 and 123 errors were detected, giving an overall error rate of 16·9% and 4·4% during paper-based and electronic prescribing, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electronic prescribing has a significant effect on the reduction of prescribing errors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prescribing errors are commonplace in Pakistan public hospitals. The study evaluated the impact of introducing electronic inpatient records and electronic prescribing in the reduction of prescribing errors in a public hospital in Pakistan.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy and Alternative Medicine, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan. ramzi_shawahna@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ramzi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shawahna
authors.forename: Nisar-Ur
authors.initials: NU
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Debray
authors.forename: Marjo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yliperttula
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Declèves
mesh_terms: D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010154:Pakistan; D010865:Pilot Projects