Standardized EHR Prescribing Reduces Errors and Enhances Patient Safety
Rethinking the prescription pad series
Prescribing is a critical part of patient care, and even small details can have a significant impact on safety.
While the traditional prescription pad or free text entries in an EHR may feel convenient, they can also open the door to unintended errors.
In this post, part of our Rethinking the Prescription Pad series, we’ll explore how standardized EHR prescribing can make prescriptions safer, ensuring that the right medication reaches the right patient in the right dose.
By adding structure to the prescribing process, standardized EHR tools provide a clear path to error reduction and, ultimately, better patient outcomes.
1. Preventing Misinterpretation and Miscommunication
A handwritten or free-text prescription can sometimes be difficult to interpret. Different abbreviations, unclear handwriting, or unique phrasing can lead to confusion, especially when another healthcare provider or pharmacist needs to understand the instructions. Standardized prescribing in an EHR removes these ambiguities by using pre-set options and consistent terminology.
How It Helps: A standardized EHR tool ensures that every detail—dosage, frequency, and formulation—is clearly defined. This means fewer opportunities for misunderstandings or errors when prescriptions are filled, especially when they’re handled by other healthcare team members.
Example Scenario: Imagine a patient who receives a handwritten prescription for hydrochlorothiazide without a clear indication of dose. A standardized EHR prescribing tool, by contrast, would guide the physician to specify both the dosage and frequency, reducing the likelihood of misinterpretation.
2. Reducing the Risk of Allergic Reactions to Drugs
When prescriptions are standardized in an EHR, the system can automatically cross-reference each entry with the patient’s allergy profile. Free-text or handwritten notes don’t have the same capability, potentially allowing allergic reactions to slip through.
How It Helps: With standardized EHR entries, the system alerts you to any potential drug allergies based on the patient's allergy profile. This safety net can prevent adverse reactions before they happen, adding a vital layer of protection.
Example Scenario: A patient with a known penicillin allergy might be prescribed an antibiotic that could trigger an allergic reaction. Standardized EHR prescribing tools alert the provider in real-time, allowing for an alternative prescription to be chosen right away.
3. Enhancing Precision with Pre-Defined Options
A standardized EHR tool minimizes errors by prompting you through each step of the prescription. Unlike free text, where the entry relies solely on memory or habit, standardized tools offer pre-defined options for medications, dosages, and formulations. This structure improves precision and reduces the likelihood of omissions or unclear instructions.
How It Helps: By guiding physicians through each component of the prescription, standardized tools ensure all relevant information is included. This reduces the risk of under- or overdosing, which can be especially critical for medications with narrow therapeutic windows.
Example Scenario: When prescribing an aceclofenac combination medication, it’s critical to ensure the total daily dose of aceclofenac does not exceed the recommended 200 mg. A standardized EHR tool would prompt the physician to select from pre-defined dosage and frequency options, ensuring that the cumulative daily dose is within safe limits and reducing the risk of overdosing
Conclusion: Standardized EHR Prescribing as a Safety Measure
When it comes to patient safety, every small step counts. Standardized EHR prescribing tools are designed not only to streamline the prescribing process but also to support better patient outcomes by reducing errors, minimizing misinterpretation, and providing built-in safety checks.
In our next post, we’ll explore how standardized EHR prescribing tools support consistency and collaboration across healthcare teams, making the prescription process smoother for everyone involved. For now, consider how a few extra moments spent using a structured prescribing tool could make a measurable difference in patient safety.
