Audit of prescribing safety in a department of medicine for the elderly

Abstract

Inadequately written prescriptions can lead to the wrong drug or dose being given, particularly in the elderly. We undertook a clinical audit to examine prescribing habits in a Department of Medicine for the Elderly, using agreed criteria. We made recommendations for change after the initial audit. At the second audit, 6 weeks later, there were considerable improvements in legibility of prescriptions and the recording of the presence or absence of drug allergies. Our study showed that prescribing habits can be influenced by stressing the importance of safe prescribing within a multi‐disciplinary setting.

Citation

Sharp, J.F. and Forsyth, D.R. (1996), "Audit of prescribing safety in a department of medicine for the elderly", Journal of Clinical Effectiveness, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 22-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb020832