Yaser Mohammed Al-Worafi1,2, Rahul P Patel3, Syed Tabish Razi Zaidi3, Wafa Mohammed Alseragi4, Masaad Saeed Almutairi5, Ali Saleh Alkhoshaiban5, Long Chiau Ming3,6. 1. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Science and Technology, Sana'a, Yemen. 2. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates. 3. Division of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. 4. Faculty of Art, Ibb University, Ibb, Yemen. 5. College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia. 6. School of Pharmacy, KPJ Healthcare University College, Nilai, Malaysia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the completeness and legibility of prescriptions dispensed in community pharmacies located in Sana'a, Yemen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at 23 randomly selected community pharmacies throughout the capital city of Sana'a, Yemen, from May 2015 to January 2016. A total of 2,178 prescriptions were analyzed for the essential elements of a complete prescription using a validated checklist. RESULTS: Of the 2,178 prescriptions, 19 (0.87%) were considered to be of good quality. The remaining 2,159 (99.12%) were considered as being of very poor quality. Writing errors relating to patients and prescribed medications were the most common errors. CONCLUSION: In this study, the quality of prescription writing was found to be very poor. Hence, continuous professional development programs are recommended to improve the quality of prescription writing among physicians. Future studies in other cities and investigation of the impact of continuous educational programs on the quality of prescription writing are strongly recommended.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the completeness and legibility of prescriptions dispensed in community pharmacies located in Sana'a, Yemen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at 23 randomly selected community pharmacies throughout the capital city of Sana'a, Yemen, from May 2015 to January 2016. A total of 2,178 prescriptions were analyzed for the essential elements of a complete prescription using a validated checklist. RESULTS: Of the 2,178 prescriptions, 19 (0.87%) were considered to be of good quality. The remaining 2,159 (99.12%) were considered as being of very poor quality. Writing errors relating to patients and prescribed medications were the most common errors. CONCLUSION: In this study, the quality of prescription writing was found to be very poor. Hence, continuous professional development programs are recommended to improve the quality of prescription writing among physicians. Future studies in other cities and investigation of the impact of continuous educational programs on the quality of prescription writing are strongly recommended.
Authors: Tony K W Hung; Serene Tareen; Sharvina Ziyeh; Gilad J Kuperman; Jun J Mao; David G Pfister; Natasha Banerjee Journal: JCO Clin Cancer Inform Date: 2021-08