Computer aided prescribing: Electronic prescribing is helpful in children too

doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7455.1566

BMJ 2004;328:1566 (26 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7455.1566

Letter

Computer aided prescribing

Electronic prescribing is helpful in children too

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—We concur with Ferner in his review of computeraided prescribing.¹ Our centre's experience of e-prescribingstarted in 1996 as part of the overhaul of the clinical managementsystem. Voluntary reporting of prescribing errors was the onlymechanism before the introduction of the computer system andwas certainly an ineffective way of notification. From our ownexperience, the prescribing error rate went from an averageof 10 per year in 1994 to over 100 per year in 1997, indicatingprevious underreporting. With proper electronic documentationand monthly clinical audits, we have seen the prescribing errorrate reduced to 40 last year (a drop of 60%).

Credit: BSIP ESTIOT/SPL

As Farrar et al say in their rapid response (previous letter),we believe that the reduced error rate was due partly to improvementin the legibility and completeness of prescriptions, as wellas to the increased awareness of the prescriber . . . [Full text of this article]

Kenneth Wong, resident

kkywong@hkucc.hku.hk

Paul Tam, chair professor

Division of Paediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Hong Kong Medical Centre, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China