Gail A. Allen Department of Emergency Medicine East Carolina University Innovative Module for Medical Prescription Writing Greenville, North Carolina 27858 252. 744-4757 Gail A. Allen M.D., M. S. [email protected]

RATIONALE/NEED Methods/Educational Interventions EVALUATION PLAN

An Institute of Medicine report estimates the Suggested Educational intervention module flow: • Prescription writing skills in a pre/post mortality from preventable medication errors course test. at 7,000 deaths each year (1). Children are at increased risk for medication errors • Self evaluation-med students/residents • Flipped classroom prior reading: http://medicalschoolhq.net/prescription-writing-101 because of weight-based dosing, limited groups FDA indications and human calculation • Didactic presentation: “Introduction to Writing prescriptions/Safe medication practices” • Individual/Group evaluations of the errors. PP slides. (60 Minutes) instructors It was hypothesized that in the pediatric • Small group exercises: Hands-on exercises, group critics prescriptions and identifies patient, implementation of new modalities safe prescribing practices (15 minutes) IMPACT/LESSONS LEARNED such as CPOE and drug prescription writing electronic programs, errors would decrease. • Large group exercises where entire group reconvenes to review each groups sample. Are we Training medical students in the • Prescription writing exercise-multiple sample cases: students review & present • Improve medical students/resident skills in findings prescription writing art of prescription writing correctly? • Facilitate discussion/incite/review principles and make corrections from the above • Decrease adverse events in medication errors cases.

Prescription Case # 1 Sample

Bill Jones has a broken arm and needs Lortab for pain. It comes in 7.5 mg tablets. He Pharmacy should take one tablet every four hours as needed for pain. He needs thirty pills. No

refills. His address is 4400 W. Grand Ave, Duluth, MN 55810. M.D./Nursing

REFERENCES Goals/Objectives 1. Institute of Medicine (1999). To Err is Human: Goal: Improve the educational process for Building a Safer Health System. prescription writing for all patients particularly for pediatric patients ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Objectives: 1. Describe the essential parts of writing a This poster was prepared with financial support prescription. Table 1: JACHO Recommendations for Use of Abbreviations from the American Medical Association (AMA) as part of the Accelerating Change in Medical Do Not Use Do Use 2. Demonstrate an ability to write a correct Education Initiative. The content reflects the hand written prescription TIW Three times weekly views of the authors and does not necessarily represent the views of the AMA or other 3. Demonstrate ability to calculate a QD, Q.D, qd,q.d. Daily weight-based drug calculation for participants in this initiative.

pediatric patients. QID Four times daily 4. Learn/discuss safe prescribing practices. QOD Every other day 5. Analysis sample prescriptions for errors IU, I.U International units