Abstract:
Background: Unsafe medication practices and medication errors are leading causes of avoidable
harm in health care systems across the world. Medication errors occur when weak medication
systems and/or human factors. World Health Organization (WHO) suggests using computer
technology to improve safety at all levels of healthcare. Pre-dispensing errors incident at
Mae Fah Luang University Medical Center Hospital was higher than other university hospital
that led to dispensing errors.
Objective: To describe handheld computer improving pre-dispensing errors.
Materials and Methods: This research was prospective and quasi-experimental study.
This study was divided into 2 phases; the first phase was the development and run-in with
handheld computer. The second phase was the effectiveness before and after study using
handheld computer for packing.
Results: Handheld computer could reduce pre-dispensing errors caused by handling wrong
drug, wrong dosage form and wrong strength of medicines as compared with those using
traditional methods significantly (p-value < 0.01). This was a statistically significant reduction
of the errors from 41.7% to 26.4% especially in look-alike, sound-alike (LASA) drugs 8.3%
to 2.8%. Two errors were found because of the returned medication in the wrong location and
pharmacist assistant not using the handheld computer. Median outpatient waiting time was
decreased from 11 minute to 9 minute. The satisfaction of users was statistically significant with
an increase from moderate to high level of the average scoring (3.2 to 3.8) (p-value = 0.03).
Conclusion: The study showed that barcode scanning technologywith handheld computer
could help reduce medication errors, especially LASA drugs. Furthermore, this technology
could improve efficacy and patient safety other than the use of barcode scanning system by
pharmacist and barcode medication administration (BCMA) by nurse
Mae Fah Luang University. Learning Resources and Educational Media Center
Address:
CHIANG RAI
Email:
library@mfu.ac.th
Modified:
2023-01-12
Issued:
2023-01-12
บทความ/Article
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GMS Medicine Journal Vol. 3 No. 1 January - April 2023 7-12