Integrated electronic prescribing systems: pharmacists' perceptions of impact on work performance and patient safety

  • Authors:

  • Bahlol Rahimi;Vivian Vimarlund;Rahman Mokhtari;Toomas Timpka

  • Affiliations:

  • Dept., of Computer and Information Sciences, Linkg Univ., Linkg, Sweden and Dept., of Social Medicine, Urmia Univ., of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran;Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden;Hospital Pharmacy, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden;Department of Computer and Information Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

  • Venue:
  • AIC'09 Proceedings of the 9th WSEAS international conference on Applied informatics and communications
  • Year:
  • 2009

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Abstract

Integrated electronic prescribing systems (IEPSs) are expected to improve efficiency and safety in the management of pharmaceuticals throughout the healthcare sector. We examined the introduction of an IEPS into pharmacists' work performance with regard to impact on efficiency and patient safety. A questionnaire was distributed to all pharmacists (n = 85) in a Swedish municipality (pop. 145,000) where an IEPS had recently been introduced. The response rate was 74%. We found that, in general, the IEPS was perceived to have expedited the processing of prescriptions and reduced the risk for prescription errors, as well as the handing over of erroneous medications to patients. Pharmacists were more cautious about the residual risks for making mistakes than the pharmacist's assistants. We conclude that the introduction of an IEPS was well received by local-level pharmacy staff, but that an IEPS does not automatically reduce the need for qualified personnel in the management of pharmaceuticals.