- Title
- Effect of computerised prescribing on use of antibiotics
- Creator
- Newby, David A.; Fryer, Jayne L.; Henry, David A.
- Relation
- Medical Journal of Australia Vol. 178, Issue 5, p. 210-213
- Relation
- http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/178_05_030303/new10320_fm.html
- Publisher
- Australasian Medical Publishing Company
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2003
- Description
- Objectives: To examine whether the use of current prescribing software systems might raise rates of repeat prescribing, with a consequent increase in use of antibiotics in the community. Design and setting: A prospective audit of consecutive prescriptions for amoxycillin, cefaclor, roxithromycin and amoxycillin/clavulanate presented to community pharmacies in the Hunter region of New South Wales and a follow-up survey of people who received a repeat prescription, October to November 2000. Main outcome measures: The frequency of repeat prescription ordering on computer-generated and handwritten prescriptions; the proportion of people who filled their repeat prescription. Results: Data were collected for 1667 prescriptions presented to 35 pharmacies; 126 people who received repeat prescriptions completed the survey. The rate of repeat prescription ordering on computer-generated prescriptions was 69%, compared with 40% for handwritten prescriptions (odds ratio, 3.3; 95% CI, 2.6–4.2). Computer-generated repeat prescriptions were as likely to be filled as hand-written prescriptions (61% and 69%, respectively). Conclusions: The default settings on computerised prescribing packages result in a significant increase in the use of antibiotics. We estimate these settings result in about 500 000 additional prescriptions being filled annually in Australia for the four antibiotics in the study.
- Subject
- repeat prescribing; prescribing software; antibiotic prescriptions; Hunter Valley
- Identifier
- uon:1788
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/27554
- Identifier
- ISSN:0025-729X
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