1. / 261 Introduction to Primary Care: a course of the Center of Post Graduate Studies In FM Rational Drug Prescription Rabwa Postgraduate Center PO Box 27121 – Riyadh 11417 Tel: 4912326 – Fax: 4970847

2. How to Prescribe Safely Clare Hughes Teacher Practitioner Pharmacist

3. / 263 Aims of talk…. Evaluate the need to reduce risk from prescribing medicines Discuss the importance of safe prescribing Identify ways of improving prescribing Describe the NHS plan and the role of the NPSA Identify sources of information which will help you prescribe safely

4. / 264 What’s this got to do with you ? You will be responsible for prescribing You will make prescribing errors You need to be aware of potential pitfalls You need to think about prescribing safely You need to know when to ask for help

5. / 265 What is a medication error ? ‘ a medication error is any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of health professional, patient or consumer’

6. / 266 Incidence of errors The incidence of medication errors in the NHS is unknown ~10-20% of all ADRs are due to errors In USA 1.8% of hospital admissions have a harmful error leading to 7000 deaths per year In Australia – 1% of all admissions suffer an ADR due to medication error

7. / 267 Common error types? Wrong patient Contra-indicted medicine Wrong drug / ingredient Wrong dose / freqency Wrong formulation Wrong route of administration Poor handwriting on Rx Incorrect IV administration calculations or pump rates Poor record keeping Paediatric doses Poor administration techniques

8. / 268 Examples…. Insulin written 7 ☉ stat given – 70 units given instead of 7 units Erythromycin 500mg iv prescribed in 50ml– vein necrosis should be in 250- 500ml ISMN mistaken for ISTIN Vancomycin IV bolus rather than infusion – cardiac arrest

9. / 269 Digoxin 125mg IV not micrograms – cardiac arrest Double rate of aminophylline infusion given – vomiting Weight related clexane – 80kg estimates – pt weighed 51kg Levothyroxine missed on admission – discovered day 10

10. / 2610 Case 1 – ‘Cambridge’ Rx Methotrexate 17.5mg once a week New Rx 10mg once a day 10mg daily dispensed by locum pharmacist Rx error noticed by 2 nd GP, comp. record unaltered +5/7 patient admitted to ENT ward

11. / 2611 Drug chart written for 100mg daily +1/7 Nurse d/w patient – back to 10mg od +1/7 Pharmacist queries and asks nurse to ask Dr to check dose GP records confirm 10mg od +2/7 blood tests re-checked } Haem +5/7 patient dies

12. / 2612 Case 2 – ‘Nottingham’ Rx Intrathecal methotrexate under GA in theatre by Oncology Reg & intravenous vincristine on ward by specialist nurse "Outlied" on non-specialist ward Both drugs delivered to theatre from ward Given food pre-op, postponed

13. / 2613 Orignal SpR off-duty now Cover SpR unable to leave ward, anaesthetist to admin intrathecal drug anaesthetist given I/Thecal but never given chemotherapy Methotrexate given intravenously Vincristine given intrathecally Patient died

14. / 2614 Commonest causes of medication errors Lack of knowledge of the drug – 29% Lack of knowledge about the patient – 18% “rule” violations – 10% “Slip” or memory loss – 9% JAMA 1995;274:35-43

15. / 2615

16. / 2616 Legal aspects Prescribing covered by Medicines Act 1968 Increasing range of prescribers If prescribed as per SPC, manufacturer holds liability Medicines without a marketing authorisation Medicines prescribed off label

17. / 2617 An organisation with a memory (NHS) 400 deaths/yr – medical devices 10,000 serious ADRs / year 28,000 written complaints/yr NHS spends £400M a year on clinical negligence claims Hospital acquired infection costs £1Bn a year (15% may be avoidable) THESE DO NOT GIVE THE TRUE SCALE OF THE PROBLEMS Department of Health 1999

18. / 2618 NHS Goals Reduce to zero the number of patients dying or paralysed by maladministered spinal injections by end 2001 Reduce by 40% the number of serious errors in the use of prescribed medicines

19. / 2619 National Patient Safety Agency Collect and analyse information on adverse events Assimilate other safety-related information Learn lessons and ensure that they are fed back into practice Where risks are identified, produce solutions to prevent harm, specify national goals and establish mechanisms to track progress

20. / 2620 Prescribing responsibilities Drug Dose Route Frequency Rate of administration Duration of treatment Allergies and sensitivities

21. / 2621 Provide a prescription that is –LEGIBLE (!!!!!) –Legal –Signed –Giving ALL information to allow safe administration

22. / 2622 Controlled drugs

23. / 2623 Drug history taking Current medication –Dose –Form –Strength –Frequency –Indication Past medication and Tx failures

24. / 2624 Over the counter medication Recreational drugs Adverse reactions Allergies and sensitivities What was the allergy Estimate of compliance

25. / 2625 Information Sources GP letter – may be inaccurate / incomplete Printed GP letter – may not be up to date Patients own tablets Written lists

26. / 2626 Common pitfalls No direction on label Not brought any of own tablets in No / unclear strengths eg inhalers Trade names – beware duplicates Patient can’t remember GP records out of date Dosette boxes – tablet ID

27. / 2627 Safe prescribing Clear and unambiguous Use approved names No abbreviations eg ISMN Unless G or mg then write units in full (micrograms or nanograms) Avoid decimal points – if needed then make very clear (0.5ml NOT.5ml)

28. / 2628 Rewrite charts regularly If amend prescription re-write or sign and date amendment For frequency use standard abbreviations eg od / bd / tds etc If using a dose by weight calculate the dose needed (NOT 1.5mg/kg) Take time (e.g. to read patient information)

29. / 2629 Take extra care if: Impaired renal function Hepatic dysfunction Children The elderly Drug unknown to you Very new drug

30. / 2630 How can we help you ?? Clinical Pharmacists View charts daily Check doses etc Check interaction Check appropriateness Provide advice and information

31. / 2631 Medicines Information All hospitals have At end of phone Answer all queries large or small There to help you prescribe safely

32. / 2632 Prescribing guidelines and resources Developed to standardise treatment Evidence based use of medicines Try and familiarise yourself with these Often now on intranets

33. / 2633 Summary Provide a clear, unambiguous and legal prescription When in doubt - ASK

34. / 2634 Prescribing Quiz Teams of 4/5 people If need additional information write ‘need info on...’

35. / 2635 Question 1 A frail 80 year old lady is admitted with falls, a chest infection and feeling sick. PMH – AF and Hypertension The medication history is recorded as: Bendroflumethazide 5mg daily Atenolol 50mg daily Ramipril 1.25mg daily Aspirin 75mg daily Warfarin 3mg daily Digoxin 250 micrograms daily She was started on Benzylpenicillin IV 2.4G qds and Ciprofloxacin po 400mg bd List 5 potential problems with this prescription….

36. / 2636 Question 2 A patient has come in with RTI and has the following on the drug chart. Benzylpenicillin 2.4G IV qds Ciprofloxacin 750mg bd The patient has had the antibiotics for 2 days is better and ready for discharge – write a TTO

37. / 2637 Question 3 A patient is admitted on-call via GP. The GP letter states that the patient is currently receiving: ISMN 60mg / day Nifedipine 30mg /day Atorvastatin 30mg / day Fill in the ‘in-patient’ drug chart for this patient

38. / 2638 Question 4 NHS goal – how much do the number of serious errors in the use of prescribed medicines need to reduce by ?

39. / 2639 Question 5 Give the generic names of the following Zocor Tegretol Istin Losec

40. / 2640 Question 6 A patient is going home and needs the following: MST 30mg bd for 14 days Please write the prescription (excluding name and address)

41. / 2641 Question 7 A patient needs Vancomycin 500mg bd IV Write up in patient drug chart

42. / 2642 Question 8 Patient is due to go home and has the following on in patient Rx: Amiodarone 200mg tds (started 4 days ago) Simvastatin 10mg on Furosemide 40mg bd (for post-op peripheral oedema) Zopiclone 7.5mg on (started in hospital) Write patients TTO for 1 mth

43. / 2643 Question 1 A frail 80 year old lady is admitted with falls, a chest infection and feeling sick. PMH – AF and Hypertension The medication history is recorded as: Bendroflumethazide 5mg dailyDose for HTN 2.5mg Atenolol 50mg daily?causes of falls Ramipril 1.25mg dailyDose of ciprofloxacin – 750mg bd Aspirin 75mg dailyAspirin and warfarin interaction Warfarin 3mg dailyWarfarin and antibiotic interactions Digoxin 250 micrograms dailyDose of digoxin too high She was started on Benzylpenicillin IV 2.4G qds and Ciprofloxacin po 400mg bd List 5 potential problems with this prescription….

44. / 2644 Question 2 Amoxycillin 500mg tds for 5 days Ciprofloxacin 750mg bd for 5 days -1 if unsigned Max 2 marks

45. / 2645 Question 3 Isosorbide mononitrate MR 60mg prescribed at 8am Nifedipine 30mg MR prescribed daily Atorvastatin 30mg prescribed at night -1 mark if no signatures included -1 mark if no routes included Max 3 marks

46. / 2646 Question 4 40%

47. / 2647 Question 5 Zocor = simvastatin Tegretol = carbamazepine Istin = amlodipine Losec = omeprazole

48. / 2648 Question 6 Morphine (Sulphate) MR (SR) tablets 30mg BD (for 14 days) 28 (twenty eight) x 30mg (840mg – eight hundred and forty milligrams) Signed dated and print name

49. / 2649 Question 7 Drug Vancomycin 8x Dose 500mg Route IV Start Date Stop Date 12 Signature Squiggle Pharm18x Additional instructions In 100mls NaCl 0.9% over 60 mins 24

50. / 2650 Question 8 Amiodarone 200mg tds for 4 days then bd for 7 days then daily Simvastatin 10mg on Frusemide 40mg bd for <7 days then to be reviewed by GP -will accept 40mg om as dose change -No zopiclone required as started in hospital