Computers have reduced medical errors by making prescriptions clearer and more legible but some do not warn doctors of potentially deadly problems, British researchers said on Friday.
About 95 percent or more of prescriptions from family doctors in Britain are issued on computers, so previous problems such as difficult to read handwriting or unclear doses are no longer an issue.
But computer programs do not issue alerts to doctors for contraindications or other conditions for which the medication should not be prescribed.
My opinion? If most pharmacies have this capability, why don’t doctors?
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 16 May 2004
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
, . (2004). Computers Miss Errors in Drug Prescribing – Study. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 14, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2004/05/16/computers-miss-errors-in-drug-prescribing-study/
