Intervention trend of pharmacists in Outpatient Department of Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR)

Intervention is a professional activity done by pharmacists in re-checking any prescription errors or giving recommendations for a change in patient’s medication therapy in order to improve the quality of use of medicine (QUM). The primary objective of this study was to study the intervention trend among pharmacists in Outpatient Department (OPD) prospectively and identify types of prescription errors that are commonly occur in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR), Klang. The daily statistics filled by pharmacists were collected from September-November 2015 and then categorised and analysed after a detailed review. The results show that there were at least 20 000 prescriptions per month and within the prescriptions received; there is at least 300 and can up to 1200 intervened prescriptions per month. Results show Medical Outpatient Department (MOPD) has the highest number of intervened prescriptions, followed by Orthopaedic and Surgical Outpatient Department (SOPD). Unlike Forensic, Rehab and Pain departments, they have the lowest number of intervened prescriptions for three consecutive months. Interventions were categorised into 4 major categories; incomplete prescription, inappropriate regimen, inappropriate prescription and others. As for incomplete prescriptions, it took the uppermost errors made by prescribes and making it to rank in the first place. 21% resulted from incomplete dose, followed by 20% of incomplete patient’s data and 18% of incomplete medication and duration of prescription. Inappropriate regimen ranked second with 50% of inappropriate dose regimen followed by 20% inappropriate frequency regimen and 15% of inappropriate medication and duration regimens whereas inappropriate prescriptions show that polypharmacy has the highest value of error with 60% followed by 20% of patient’s fault and 10% similarly for contraindication and incompatibility meanwhile unlisted drugs and improper handwriting shows significant number up to 68% and 29% respectively in others category. In order to encounter this problem, pharmacy department provided an intervention form for the pharmacists to fill in each time they make an intervention and record the errors in the daily statistics intervention form as well. Based on the results, interventions made by the pharmacists have always been considered as a valuable input by the health care community in the patient care process.