title: [Opportunities for medication errors and pharmacist's interventions in the context of computerized prescription order entry: a review of data published by French hospital pharmacists].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Computerized prescription order entry (CPOE) is accelerating in France. CPOE has been shown to reduce the occurrence of some medication errors, but evidence of a beneficial effect on clinical outcomes remains limited. In some cases, new error types have arisen with its use. The aim of this study was to investigate the French data on the nature and frequency of medication errors opportunities generated by the computer use, which led pharmacists to alert prescribers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a search on PubMed and CAT-INIST databases completed by a manual one.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten publications, 11 abstracts and three personal communications were analysed. As part of the analysis of computerized prescriptions, the rate of pharmaceutical interventions due to CPOE ranges from 5.9 to 35% depending on the study. Duplicate orders, unit errors, the use of free text, parameterization flaws and poor usability of software are probably the root of many prescribing errors. Errors generated by the tool can have serious potential consequences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pharmacist's interventions due to CPOE are common. It is not known whether variability of the percentage of pharmacist's interventions is due to software used or to conditions by witch studies were carried out. With implementation of CPOE in hospital, pharmacists must acquire new knowledge and new skills in order to prevent prescription errors generated by these tools and its misuse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Studies are urgently needed in order to identify the safest tools and to discard the most dangerous.
authors.affiliation: Service pharmacie, hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, hospices civils de Lyon, 103, grande rue de la Croix-Rousse, 69317 Lyon cedex 04, France. bruno.charpiat@chu-lyon.fr
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Charpiat
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bedouch
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Conort
authors.forename: F X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Juste
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roubille
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Allenet
mesh_terms: D003199:Computer Systems; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards*; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008510:Medication Systems, Hospital; D010595:Pharmacists; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012984:Software