Outcomes of Utilizing Computer Program in Medication Reconciliation from Hospital to Home by Pharmacist

Authors

  • Nongnaphat Khankaew Pharmacy Department, Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital
  • Peerapat Singkan Pharmacy Department, Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital

Keywords:

medication reconciliation, medication reconciliation program, medication errors, prescribing errors

Abstract

Background: Most of the prescribing errors were found in the discharge process. A computer program was utilized as a tool for pharmacist to do medication reconciliation (MR) before discharging patients. The program will print prescription containing medications to be continued at home.

Objectives: To study the outcomes of MR at discharge process by using computer program and to compare medication errors (ME) from the discharge prescriptions that were printed from the program with those from handwritten prescriptions.

Method: The research was a quasi-experimental design. Data were prospectively collected from discharge prescriptions for the patients in medical wards over a three-month period during official hours. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and t-test).

Results: The total number of discharge prescriptions was 2,428/14,338 (prescriptions/items). This included handwritten prescriptions totaling 2,367/13,890 (prescriptions/items) and prescriptions that were printed from the program totaling 61/448 (prescriptions/items). ME were observed in 139/150 (prescriptions/items) (5.7/1.0 percent), all of which were from handwritten prescriptions but no errors were found in printed prescriptions, the difference was statistically significant (p-value < 0.05). ME that were found and corrected were dosage too high, dosage too low, inappropriate route of administration, incorrect quantity of medication, and unnecessary drug therapy at the incidence of 32.0%, 19.3%, 18.7%, 10.7% and 9.4%, respectively.

Conclusion: MR at discharge process by using the computer program is able to prevent ME, and the discharge prescriptions for home medication that printed from the program were observed to have less ME than those of the handwritten prescriptions.

Author Biographies

Nongnaphat Khankaew, Pharmacy Department, Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital

B.Pharm.

Peerapat Singkan, Pharmacy Department, Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital

B.Pharm.

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Published

2021-12-30

How to Cite

1.
Khankaew N, Singkan P. Outcomes of Utilizing Computer Program in Medication Reconciliation from Hospital to Home by Pharmacist. Thai J Hosp Pharm [internet]. 2021 Dec. 30 [cited 2026 Feb. 5];31(3):209-20. available from: https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/TJHP/article/view/251747