Assessment Of Prescription Quality, Legibility, and Error Prevalence in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Medication errors present a major challenge in global healthcare, causing preventable morbidity and prolonged hospital stays. This study evaluated prescription-writing standards, clinical disease profiles, and error patterns in a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: A cross-sectional, observational audit of 50 representative inpatient prescription sheets was conducted across general medicine, surgery, orthopedics, and gynecology wards. Data parameters assessed patient demographics, primary diagnoses, compliance with prescription writing guidelines, and specific error categories.

Results: The patient cohort showed a high concentration of elderly individuals (60–80 years), with males comprising 60.0% and females 40.0%. Leading primary diagnoses included cardiovascular/comorbid conditions (22.0%), upper gastrointestinal bleeding (18.0%), and respiratory tract infections (16.0%). While handwriting legibility was 100% and treatment duration documentation reached 92.0%, compliance with block-letter formatting was 60.0%, and generic drug prescribing was exceptionally low at 16.0%. Overall, prescription errors were detected in 12.0% of records, evenly divided (4.0% each) among wrong dosing, incorrect frequency, and unclear or non-standard abbreviations.

Conclusion: Although physical legibility is well-maintained, heavy reliance on brand names and incomplete adherence to standardized writing practices highlight critical vulnerabilities. Implementing regular audit-and-feedback cycles, mandating generic drug nomenclature, and reinforcing standardized prescription training are vital to minimizing medication errors and improving patient safety.