Introduction
Hospital prescriptions in many countries are usually medical prescriptions that patients receive when they are discharged from a hospital. Difficulties regularly arise when filling prescriptions, which have multifaceted causes. As a result, the dispensing of the medication can be delayed and, in the worst case, the patient is not treated adequately or suffers adverse effects. Hospital prescriptions also cause additional administrative and bureaucratic work for pharmacies that should not be underestimated.
Problems
“” – Martinelli (2008) Pharmaceutical and medical problems:
- Inadequate or incorrect information on dosage, galenic form, and use, for example, duration of therapy
- Prescription errors
- Drug allergies
- Contraindications
- Drug interactions
- Parapharmacy
- New medications, change of permanent medication.
- Generics vs. originals: duplicate prescriptions, dispensing a generic drug from another manufacturer
Editorial issues:
- Readability
- Missing information, incomplete prescription
- Confusion
- Illegible font, internal abbreviations.
Logistical problems:
- Medicines from abroad
- Small package size not in stock
- Magistral formulations
Legal issues:
- Prescription of narcotics on normal prescription.
Aids for the pharmacy
- Always seek discussion with the patient or relatives
- Telephone contact with the hospital, the person in charge or the hospital pharmacy.
- Patient history
- Sources of supply for extemporaneous preparations and substances.
- Databases, e.g. pharmaceutical information systems.
- Polymedication check
Literature for parapharmacy:
- Product catalogs
- Kitteltasche books: dressing materials for the kitteltasche, aids and medical devices for the kitteltasche.
Other approaches:
- Processes in the hospital: e.g. medication history, training of residents.
- Electronic prescribing, electronic patient record (eHealth, e-prescribing).
