Errors in Prescription Writing by Consultants

Abstract

Objective: To identify the errors in the prescriptions of consultant (CPx) from different parts of Karachi. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in the department of Pharmacology at Bahria University Medical & Dental College, Karachi, from 21st April to 23rd June 2015. A total of 100 prescriptions were collected randomly after verbal consent from four consultants from four districts of Karachi. All prescriptions were analyzed for identifying errors in Superscription, Inscription, Subscription, Transcription, Signature and Refill information. Verbal consent of the respective consultants was taken few days prior to collection of prescriptions. Patient’s consent was taken at the time of obtaining the prescription. Results: A total of 562 errors were identified in 100 prescriptions of consultants.303 errors in superscription, 103 in inscription, 100 in subscription, 6 in transcription, and 50 in refill information Conclusion: Errors in prescription writing are found to be common in the prescriptions of consultants. Measures should be taken to refresh the prescription writing skills of consultants through Continuous Medical Education Sessions (CMEs) and workshops