Tamanna Soni, Sushrut Varun Satpathy* and Binu Upreti
This study discusses the issue of prescribing errors in hospitals, which are reported to affect a significant percentage of patients and are one of the most common causes of patient safety incidents. Hence the study describes a study conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital in East Sikkim, India, that aimed to assess the quality of hospital prescriptions for completeness, legibility, and WHO recommended indicators. To attain the objective of the study, the study used 200 patients. The study found a diverse patient population with varying demographics, medical conditions, departmental needs, drug and prescription requirements, and antibiotic usage. Poor prescribing practices, including polypharmacy and non-compliance with dosing schedules, can result in dangerous medication, illness aggravation, health risks, financial strain, and resource waste. Strategies for preventing medication errors include prescription auditing, the implementation of medical guidance rules, public awareness regarding prescription drugs, and avoiding receiving monetary incentives from pharmaceutical firms. These findings can be useful for healthcare professionals and policymakers in developing effective treatment plans and strategies to address the needs of such patient populations.
