Biomaterial Database

Prescribing problems and pharmacist interventions in community practice. 1992

M T Rupp, and M DeYoung, and S W Schondelmeyer

Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907.

Interventions performed by 89 community pharmacists in 5 states to correct the prescribing problems they identified on new prescription orders were documented by trained observers. Pharmacists intervened to resolve a prescribing-related problem in 623 (1.9%) of 33,011 new prescription orders that were screened and dispensed during the study period. A panel of three expert evaluators concluded that 28.3% of the prescribing problems identified during the study could have caused patient harm if the pharmacist had not intervened to correct the problem. The rate at which pharmacists identified prescribing problems was negatively related to the number of prescriptions they dispensed per hour, suggesting that in pursuing distributive efficiency, some pharmacists may be exceeding their safe dispensing threshold. The authors recommend that the interprofessional system of oversight and verification (i.e., "checks and balances") in the delivery of pharmaceutical care in the community setting should be maintained and strengthened.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007400	Interprofessional Relations	The reciprocal interaction of two or more professional individuals.	Etiquette, Medical,Medical Etiquette,Relations, Interprofessional
D008297	Male		Males
D008508	Medication Errors	Errors in prescribing, dispensing, or administering medication with the result that the patient fails to receive the correct drug or the indicated proper drug dosage.	Drug Use Error,Errors, Medication,High-Alert Drug Error,High-Alert Medication Error,LASA Medication Errors,Look-Alike Drug Name Errors,Look-Alike Sound-Alike Drug Errors,Look-Alike Sound-Alike Drug Substitution Errors,Look-Alike Sound-Alike Medication Errors,Lookalike Drug Name Errors,Lookalike Soundalike Drug Errors,Lookalike Soundalike Drug Substitution Errors,Lookalike Soundalike Medication Errors,Drug Error, High-Alert,Drug Use Errors,Error, Drug Use,Error, LASA Medication,Error, Medication,High Alert Drug Error,High Alert Medication Error,High-Alert Drug Errors,High-Alert Medication Errors,LASA Medication Error,Look Alike Drug Name Errors,Look Alike Sound Alike Drug Errors,Look Alike Sound Alike Drug Substitution Errors,Look Alike Sound Alike Medication Errors,Medication Error,Medication Error, High-Alert,Medication Error, LASA,Medication Errors, High-Alert,Medication Errors, LASA
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010595	Pharmacists	Those persons legally qualified by education and training to engage in the practice of pharmacy.	Clinical Pharmacists,Community Pharmacists,Retail Pharmacists,Clinical Pharmacist,Community Pharmacist,Pharmacist,Pharmacist, Clinical,Pharmacist, Community,Pharmacist, Retail,Pharmacists, Clinical,Pharmacists, Community,Pharmacists, Retail,Retail Pharmacist
D011231	Preceptorship	Practical experience in medical and health-related services that occurs as part of an educational program wherein the professionally-trained student works outside the academic environment under the SUPERVISION of an established professional in the particular field.	Clinical Mentoring,Clinical Supervision,Clinical Practicum,Field Study, Medical,Field Training, Medical,Field Work, Medical,Clinical Mentorings,Clinical Supervisions,Field Studies, Medical,Medical Field Studies,Medical Field Study,Medical Field Training,Medical Field Work,Mentoring, Clinical,Mentorings, Clinical,Practicum, Clinical,Practicums, Clinical,Studies, Medical Field,Study, Medical Field,Supervision, Clinical,Supervisions, Clinical,Training, Medical Field,Work, Medical Field
D011307	Drug Prescriptions	Directions written for the obtaining and use of DRUGS.	Drug Prescribing,Drug Prescription,Drug Prescribings,Prescribing, Drug,Prescribings, Drug
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D003142	Communication	The exchange or transmission of ideas, attitudes, or beliefs between individuals or groups.	Miscommunication,Misinformation,Social Communication,Communication Programs,Communications Personnel,Personal Communication,Communication Program,Communication, Personal,Communication, Social,Communications, Social,Miscommunications,Misinformations,Personnel, Communications,Program, Communication,Programs, Communication,Social Communications
D003157	Community Pharmacy Services	Total pharmaceutical services provided to the public through community pharmacies.	Community Pharmaceutic Services,Community Pharmaceutical Services,Pharmaceutic Services, Community,Pharmaceutical Service, Community,Pharmaceutical Services, Community,Pharmacy Services, Community,Service, Community Pharmaceutic,Service, Community Pharmaceutical,Service, Community Pharmacy,Services, Community Pharmaceutic,Services, Community Pharmaceutical,Services, Community Pharmacy,Community Pharmaceutic Service,Community Pharmaceutical Service,Community Pharmacy Service,Pharmaceutic Service, Community,Pharmacy Service, Community