TY - JOUR
T1 - Potential medication dosing errors in outpatient pediatrics
AU - McPhillips, Heather A.
AU - Stille, Christopher J.
AU - Smith, David
AU - Hecht, Julia
AU - Pearson, John
AU - Stull, John
AU - DeBellis, Kristin
AU - Andrade, Susan
AU - Miller, Marlene
AU - Kaushal, Rainu
AU - Gurwitz, Jerry
AU - Davis, Robert L.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by a contract to the HMO Research Network's Integrated Delivery System Research Network (AHRQ Contract No. 290-00-0015), and by a grant to the HMO Research Network Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics (CERTs) (AHRQ U18HS10391), from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ U18HS11843-01).
PY - 2005/12
Y1 - 2005/12
N2 - Objective: To determine the prevalence of potential dosing errors of medication dispensed to children for 22 common medications. Study design: Using automated pharmacy data from 3 health maintenance organizations (HMOs), we randomly selected up to 120 children with a new dispensing prescription for each drug of interest, giving 1933 study subjects. Errors were defined as potential overdoses or potential underdoses. Error rate in 2 HMOs that use paper prescriptions was compared with 1 HMO that uses an electronic prescription writer. Results: Approximately 15% of children were dispensed a medication with a potential dosing error: 8% were potential overdoses and 7% were potential underdoses. Among children weighing <35 kg, only 67% of doses were dispensed within recommended dosing ranges, and more than 1% were dispensed at more than twice the recommended maximum dose. Analgesics were most likely to be potentially overdosed (15%), whereas antiepileptics were most likely potentially underdosed (20%). Potential error rates were not lower at the site with an electronic prescription writer. Conclusions: Potential medication dosing errors occur frequently in outpatient pediatrics. Studies on the clinical impact of these potential errors and effective error prevention strategies are needed.
AB - Objective: To determine the prevalence of potential dosing errors of medication dispensed to children for 22 common medications. Study design: Using automated pharmacy data from 3 health maintenance organizations (HMOs), we randomly selected up to 120 children with a new dispensing prescription for each drug of interest, giving 1933 study subjects. Errors were defined as potential overdoses or potential underdoses. Error rate in 2 HMOs that use paper prescriptions was compared with 1 HMO that uses an electronic prescription writer. Results: Approximately 15% of children were dispensed a medication with a potential dosing error: 8% were potential overdoses and 7% were potential underdoses. Among children weighing <35 kg, only 67% of doses were dispensed within recommended dosing ranges, and more than 1% were dispensed at more than twice the recommended maximum dose. Analgesics were most likely to be potentially overdosed (15%), whereas antiepileptics were most likely potentially underdosed (20%). Potential error rates were not lower at the site with an electronic prescription writer. Conclusions: Potential medication dosing errors occur frequently in outpatient pediatrics. Studies on the clinical impact of these potential errors and effective error prevention strategies are needed.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jpeds.2005.07.043
DO - 10.1016/j.jpeds.2005.07.043
M3 - Article
C2 - 16356427
AN - SCOPUS:28844489624
SN - 0022-3476
VL - 147
SP - 761
EP - 767
JO - Journal of Pediatrics
JF - Journal of Pediatrics
IS - 6
ER -