Outpatient Prescription Errors: Detection, Analysis, and Impact on Safety
- Conditions
- Medication Errors
- Interventions
- Behavioral: reporting system
- Registration Number
- NCT00256568
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Vermont
- Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to better understand outpatient prescribing errors through clinic and pharmacy-based error reporting systems.
- Detailed Description
Medication errors cause substantial morbidity and mortality in the United States. However, relatively little is known about medication errors in the outpatient setting. The broad goal of this proposal is to improve outpatient safety. Specifically, this research plan promotes the understanding of the causes of outpatient prescription errors. The specific aims of this project are:
1. To develop and evaluate a novel reporting system in physicians' offices for detecting prescription errors
2. To develop and evaluate a novel improvement system in community pharmacies to increase prescription error reporting by pharmacists
3. To analyze reports of outpatient prescription errors and understand their root causes
To achieve these specific aims, statewide research will be conducted utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods including root cause analysis, failure mode and effects analysis, and surveys. This research plan will promote patient safety by furthering the understanding of the causes of outpatient prescription errors in all outpatient populations, including rural, women, children, elderly, low income, and the chronically ill.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 103
- Employed in a physician's office or community pharmacy
- Not employed in a physician's office or community pharmacy
Study & Design
- Study Type
- OBSERVATIONAL
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Primary Care Practices reporting system One hundred and three prescribers, managers, nurses and office staff at seven primary care practices in Vermont
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
University of Vermont, Division of General Internal Medicine
🇺🇸Burlington, Vermont, United States