Effect of providing feedback and prescribing education on prescription writing: An intervention study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Accurate medication prescribing important to avoid errors and ensure best possible outcomes. This is a report of assessment of the impact of providing feedback and educational intervention on prescribing error types and rates in routine practice. METHODS: Doctors’ prescriptions from selected wards in two tertiary hospitals in central Nigeria were prospectively reviewed for a 6-month period and assessed for errors; grouped into six categories. Intervention was by providing feedback and educational outreach on the specialty/departmental level at one hospital while the other acted as the control. Chi-squared statistics was used to compare prescribing characteristics pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: At baseline, error rate was higher at the control site. At the intervention site, statistically significant reductions were obtained for errors involving omission of route of administration (P < 0.001), under dose (P = 0.012), dose adjustment in renal impairment (P = 0.019), ambiguous orders (P < 0.001) and drug/drug interaction (P < 0.001) post intervention though there was no change in mean error rate post intervention (P = 0.984). Though House Officers and Registrars wrote most prescriptions, highest reduction in prescribing error rates post intervention was by the registrars (0.93% to 0.29%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Writing prescriptions that lacked essential details was common. Intervention resulted in modest changes. Routinely providing feedback and continuing prescriber education will likely sustain error reduction.