Abstract

AUDIT OF PRESCRIPTIONS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL- A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Dr. Maryam Ghanadi Farnoud* and Shekar H. S.

ABSTRACT

A drug prescription is often the endpoint of a patient’s visit to a medical practitioner. As an instruction from a prescriber to a dispenser, it is considered to be a medico legal document that should be written legibly, accurately and completely. The retrospective study was carried out over one month period in a 1000 bedded tertiary care hospital. Patient and drug data was recorded from out-patient prescription using Systematic Random Sampling. It contained patient particulars, diagnosis, investigations, drug details and information from the prescriber regarding the indication for prescribing agents (both topical and oral), underlying infection, duration of therapy and details of any concomitant medications. 7.1% of prescription showed poor handwriting as a serious problem that might lead to dispensing the wrong medication to the patient with serious or even fatal results.

Keywords: Prescription, Audit, Legibility.