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Prescribing errors in psychiatry

Oxleas NHS Trust, Pinewood House, Pinewood Place, Dartford, Kent DA2 7WG

STUART GILL-BANHAM, Senior Clinical Pharmacist

Oxleas NHS Trust

Declaration of interest

C.P. and S.G-B. are both pharmacists who would like to see better resourcing of pharmacy services in Mental Health Trusts nationally.

AIMS AND METHOD

The Department of Health would like to see serious prescribing errors reduced by 40% by 2005. Little is currently known about prescribing errors made by psychiatrists. The aim of this study was to describe prescribing errors within psychiatry by analysing interventions made by pharmacists. Members of the South-East Thames Psychiatric Pharmacists' Network were asked to record details of prescribing errors made in their trusts during the month of May 2002.

RESULTS

Five hundred and seventy-nine errors were reported during the study period. The majority of errors were due to clerical oversights or failure to apply clinical knowledge. In 63 cases (11%), the error could have resulted in a seriousoutcome.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Prescribing errors are a daily occurrence in Mental Health Trusts, and a potentially serious error is likely to occur on a weekly basis in an average trust. Steps need to be taken to minimise the chances of errors occurring.

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