Prescribing Perils: Reduce Your Risk

Take time to ensure your prescription orders are clear, complete, and understood by the patient, says Jackson Como, PharmD, University Hospital's Drug Information Service director, who offers these additional suggestions:

• Include the diagnosis and patient's weight along with dosage and directions for each medication. Diagnosis is important, especially when prescribing drugs for uncommon reasons. For example, if you're prescribing Baclofen for hiccups, including the indication on the prescription will minimize calls from other health-care professionals to clarify why this medication is being used in a person without muscle spasms.
• Never abbreviate. This practice proves so dangerous that University Hospital's Medical/Dental Staff Policy states that no abbreviations will be accepted for drug names. For instance, the use of AZT for zidovudine has been confused with azathioprine and aztreonam.
• Write legibly. Better yet, print or use a computer to print outpatient prescriptions. Poor legibility is a major cause of liability.
• Minimize verbal orders. When a verbal order is unavoidable, request that the person taking the order repeat it back to you.
• Beware of sound-alike, look-alike drugs. For example, Imferon can be confused with Interferon; Torecan with Toradol; Quinine with Quinidine; and Diphenatol with Diphenidol.

Physicians are encouraged to consult hospital pharmacists, who are readily available for assistance, Dr. Como says. Also, the Drug Information Service is available to physicians 24 hours a day at 934-2162.