Table 3 Types of prescribing error
| Â | Control Group | Partial Intervention Group | Full Intervention Group | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Â | Phase 1 Mean % Error | Phase 2 Mean % Error | Phase 1 Mean % Error | Phase 2 Mean % Error | Phase 1 Mean % Error | Phase 2 Mean % Error |
|  | (n = 4200) | (n = 3920) | (n = 5020) | (n = 3920) | (n = 7880) | (n = 7280) |
Types of drug error, n (%) | ||||||
 Inappropriate dose | 84 (2.0) | 59 (1.5) | 230 (4.6) | 107 (2.7) | 198 (2.5) | 76 (1.0) |
 Inappropriate frequency | 59 (1.4) | 51 (1.3) | 72 (1.4) | 37 (0.9) | 48 (0.6) | 35 (0.5) |
 Inappropriate duration | 10 (0.2) | 5 (0.1) | 20 (0.4) | 6 (0.2) | 17 (0.2) | 6 (0.1) |
 Inappropriate dosage form | 8 (0.2) | 2 (0.1) | 13 (0.3) | 12 (0.3) | 49 (0.6) | 6 (0.1) |
 Polypharmacy | 36 (0.9) | 18 (0.5) | 75 (1.5) | 26 (0.7) | 64 (0.8) | 31 (0.4) |
 Medication duplication | 4 (0.1) | 3 (0.1) | 5 (0.1) | 2 (0.1) | 8 (0.1) | 9 (0.1) |
 Contraindication | 14 (0.3) | 23 (0.6) | 22 (0.4) | 33 (0.8) | 8 (0.1) | 27 (0.4) |
Types of information error, n (%) | ||||||
 Duration/quantity not specified | 241 (5.7) | 178 (4.5) | 444 (8.8) | 250 (6.4) | 507 (6.4) | 339 (4.7) |
 Dose not specified | 141 (3.4) | 289 (7.4) | 221 (4.4) | 248 (6.3) | 385 (4.9) | 387 (5.3) |
 Frequency not specified | 599 (14.3) | 612 (15.6) | 760 (15.1) | 646 (16.5) | 1319 (16.7) | 872 (12.0) |
 Dosage form not specified | 22 (0.5) | 6 (0.2) | 60 (1.2) | 20 (0.5) | 66 (0.8) | 35 (0.5) |
 Strength not specified | 41 (1.0) | 45 (1.2) | 168 (3.4) | 32 (0.8) | 107 (1.4) | 68 (0.9) |
 Illegible | 189 (4.5) | 97 (2.5) | 565 (11.3) | 224 (5.7) | 325 (4.1) | 124 (1.7) |
 Abbreviation | 201 (4.8) | 221 (5.6) | 468 (9.3) | 288 (7.4) | 510 (6.5) | 246 (3.4) |
Types of administrative error, n (%) | ||||||
 No prescriber name/stamp | 47 (1.1) | 45 (1.2) | 148 (3.0) | 185 (4.7) | 67 (0.9) | 17 (0.2) |
 No prescriber signature | 4 (0.1) | 1 (0.0) | 19 (0.4) | 6 (0.2) | 15 (0.2) | 10 (0.1) |
 No date | 8 (0.2) | 17 (0.4) | 14 (0.3) | 8 (0.2) | 19 (0.2) | 8 (0.1) |
 No patient name | 0 (0.0) | 2 (0.1) | 1 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 2 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) |
 No patient age | 136 (3.2) | 73 (1.9) | 249 (5.0) | 76 (1.9) | 109 (1.4) | 42 (0.6) |
 No patient ID | 8 (0.2) | 11 (0.3) | 11 (0.2) | 4 (0.1) | 14 (0.2) | 6 (0.1) |
 No diagnosis | 372 (8.9) | 296 (7.6) | 751 (15.0) | 193 (4.9) | 363 (4.6) | 185 (2.5) |
 Wrong patient name | 7 (0.2) | 3 (0.1) | 20 (0.4) | 8 (0.2) | 10 (0.1) | 0 (0.0) |
Other error, n (%) | 76 (1.8) | 45 (1.2) | 240 (4.8) | 90 (2.3) | 162 (2.1) | 112 (1.5) |