En kjede er aldri sterkere enn det svakeste leddet... : en tverrsnittstudie av farmasøyters erfaring med informasjonskvaliteten på den elektroniske resepten.

Abstract

The introduction of e-prescription is an important measure in order to reduce errors and unintended incidents related to pharmaceutical treatment. One of the risk factors related to e-prescription is the availability of quality assured and updated pharmaceutical information. The purpose of the study was to assess pharmacists’ experience of the information quality of the prescription, in terms of discrepancies and interventions, in an introductory phase of e-prescription in Norway. The background of the study was surveyed success factors when introducing e-prescription for physicians.The research question to be addressed was: Which experiences do pharmacists have regarding information quality of the electronic prescription? A quantitative method with cross-sectional design was used to answer the research question. A web-based questionnaire was distributed to 1339 pharmacists who had adopted e-prescription. The response rate was 32%. Results of the study revealed errors and omissions on e-prescriptions sent from the physicians. These discrepancies were primarily procedural errors relating to reimbursement, and lack of additional information with potential clinical effects. The physicians did not meet pharmacists’ expectations to enter prescription information not required by law and regulation. Frequently, the customer was used as a source for clarification of prescription information. 17% of the pharmacists were daily in contact with a prescriber for clarifications. The study revealed that the information quality of e-prescription should be improved. FEST does not always ensure correct and updated pharmaceutical information of the e-prescription. The customer is a major source of clarification of prescription information. Pharmacists rated the usability of the dispatch system to be satisfactory when the information quality of the prescription was good. When correction of the prescription was required, pharmacists demanded improved functionality for displaying relevant information on the same screen. In total, pharmacists found e-prescription to be time saving. Keywords: Electronic prescribing, quality, pharmacist, pharmacy, intervention, interoperability, clarification dialogue