The effect of Computerised Physician Order Entry on prescribing errors: An interrupted time-series study at a secondary referral hospital in Australia.

Background: Computerised Physician Order Entry (CPOE) software is increasingly used across the world to improve medication safety. However, few high-quality studies have reviewed the impact of CPOE on prescribing errors and patient harm.

Objective: To investigate the effect of a hybrid CPOE-paper prescribing system on prescribing errors at a secondary hospital site.

Prescriber barriers and enablers to minimising potentially inappropriate medications in adults: a systematic review and thematic synthesis.

Objective: To synthesise qualitative studies that explore prescribers' perceived barriers and enablers to minimising potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) chronically prescribed in adults.

Design: A qualitative systematic review was undertaken by searching PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL and INFORMIT from inception to March 2014, combined with an extensive manual search of reference lists and related citations. A quality checklist was used to assess the transparency of the reporting of included studies and the potential for bias.

First do no harm: a real need to deprescribe in older patients.

Inappropriate polypharmacy in older patients imposes a significant burden of decreased physical functioning, increased risk of falls, delirium and other geriatric syndromes, hospital admissions and death. The single most important predictor of inappropriate prescribing and risk of adverse drug events in older patients is the number of prescribed medications. Deprescribing is the process of tapering or stopping drugs, with the goal of minimising polypharmacy and improving outcomes.

An evaluation framework for non-medical prescribing research.

Without robust and credible evidence for the benefits in health outcomes of non-medical prescribing, widespread implementation will be challenging. Our aim is to develop a consistent evaluation framework that could be applied to non-medical prescribing research. An informal collaboration was initiated in 2008 by a group of pharmacists from Australia and New Zealand to assist in information sharing, pilot design, methodologies and evaluation for pharmacist prescribing.

Pilot of a National Inpatient Medication Chart in Australia: improving prescribing safety and enabling prescribing training.

What Is Already Known About This Subject: Prescribing errors are common and are caused by multiple factors. Standard medication charts have been recommended by British and Australian Health services. A study of a standard medication chart in five hospitals in one state of Australia significantly reduced prescribing errors.

Safe medication practice: attitudes of medical students about to begin their intern year.

Objectives: Interns are expected to prescribe effectively and safely. This study aimed to assess medical students' perceptions of their readiness to prescribe, associated risks and outcome if involved in an error, as well as their perceptions of available support.

Methods: We carried out a survey of 101 students prior to their intern year using a structured questionnaire.

Why do interns make prescribing errors? A qualitative study.

Objective: To identify and analyse factors underlying intern prescribing errors to inform development of specific medication-safety interventions.

Design: A prospective qualitative study that involved face-to-face interviews and human-factor analysis.

Setting: A tertiary referral teaching hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, February-June, 2004.