Promoting Physician Adherence to the Norms of Prescription Writing

 Dr Madhav Madhusudan Singh

MBBS, MHA (AIIMS) , MBA (Finance), Ph.D. ( Hosp Mx)

 

Introduction:

Prescription writing is an essential aspect of healthcare. It is a process that involves selecting, recommending, and dispensing medications to patients. Prescription writing must follow specific norms to ensure patient safety and optimal health outcomes. Physicians, as healthcare professionals, have a crucial role to play in adhering to these norms. Unfortunately, many physicians do not comply with prescription writing guidelines, leading to negative consequences for patients.

Ideal Norms for Prescription Writing

The ideal norms for prescription writing involve a set of guidelines that aim to improve patient safety and promote optimal health outcomes. The following are some of the norms that physicians should follow when writing prescriptions:

1.     Legibility: The prescription must be legible and easy to understand.

2.  Clarity: The prescription must be clear and precise, specifying the medication's name, strength, dosage, frequency, and route of administration.

3. Avoiding abbreviations: The use of abbreviations must be avoided, as they can lead to confusion and errors in medication administration.

4.  Drug interactions: The physician must check for potential drug interactions before prescribing medication.

5.     Dosage adjustments: The physician must adjust the dosage of medication based on the patient's weight, age, and medical condition.

6.     Monitoring: The physician must monitor the patient's response to medication and adjust the dosage if necessary.

Benefits of Adherence to Prescription Writing Norms

Adherence to prescription writing norms has several benefits for both patients and healthcare providers. The following are some of the advantages of following prescription writing norms:

1.     Improved patient safety: Adhering to prescription writing norms reduces the risk of medication errors, drug interactions, and adverse drug reactions, ensuring patient safety.

2.   Improved health outcomes: Adherence to prescription writing norms ensures that patients receive the correct medication at the right dosage, leading to improved health outcomes.

3.  Reduced healthcare costs: Adhering to prescription writing norms reduces the likelihood of medication errors, which can result in additional healthcare costs and prolongation of hospital stays.

4.  Legal compliance: Adhering to prescription writing norms ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of legal liabilities.

        Fig 1: Good Prescription 

        Fig 2 : Bad prescription 

How to Motivate Physicians to Follow Prescription Writing Norms

Promoting physician adherence to prescription writing norms can be challenging in an Indian hospital setting, given the complexity of the healthcare system and the pressure to provide cost-effective care. Motivating physicians to adhere to prescription writing norms can be a challenging task. However, the following strategies can be used to encourage compliance:

1.   Training and education: Physicians can be provided with training and education on prescription writing norms, emphasizing the importance of adherence to patient safety and optimal health outcomes.

2.  Electronic prescription writing: Electronic prescription writing systems can be used to improve legibility, reduce errors, and provide decision support on drug interactions and dosages.

3.   Feedback and monitoring: Physicians can receive feedback on their prescription writing practices, and their performance can be monitored to identify areas for improvement.

4.  Incentives and rewards: Incentives and rewards can be provided to physicians who adhere to prescription writing norms, encouraging compliance.

Example of Hospitals Following Prescription Writing Norms

Several hospitals have successfully implemented prescription writing norms, leading to improved patient safety and health outcomes. For example, the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore has implemented an electronic prescription writing system that checks for potential drug interactions, allergies, and dosages, reducing the risk of medication errors. The system also provides alerts for incomplete prescriptions, ensuring that all necessary information is included. As a result, the hospital has seen a reduction in medication errors and improved patient safety.

The Apollo Hospitals Group is one of India's leading healthcare providers and has implemented prescription writing norms to ensure patient safety and optimal health outcomes. One of the key measures implemented by the Apollo Hospitals Group is the use of a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system. The CPOE system allows physicians to enter prescription orders electronically, eliminating the need for handwritten orders that can be illegible and prone to errors. The system also provides decision support on drug interactions, dosages, and patient allergies, reducing the risk of medication errors. The CPOE system at Apollo Hospitals Group is integrated with the hospital's electronic medical record (EMR) system, allowing for seamless patient care. The EMR system provides physicians with access to a patient's medical history, laboratory results, and diagnostic imaging, enabling them to make informed decisions when prescribing medication.

Conclusion

Adherence to prescription writing norms is essential for promoting patient safety and optimal health outcomes. Physicians must follow specific guidelines when writing prescriptions to ensure that patients receive the correct medication at the right dosage.

 

Dr Madhav Madhusudan Singh MBBS, MHA , MBA , Ph.D.

https://twitter.com/madhavsingh1972

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-madhav-madhusudan-singh-07139a26/

 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this text are solely the personal opinions of the author and do not represent the views of any organization or entity with which the author may be affiliated.