Errors associated with outpatient computerized prescribing systems.

Medication safety in the ambulatory setting is an ongoing challenge, partly driven by the lack of computerized systems that promote safe prescribing. This retrospective cohort study analyzed nearly 4000 computer-generated prescriptions over a 4-week period and found a 12% error rate; 35% were considered potential adverse drug events. The error rates varied for different computerized systems (ranging from 5% to 38%) with omitted information the most common error type (60%). The findings suggest that implementing e-prescribing solutions requires more than simply adopting a computerized system. Careful attention is required to assure safe processes and functionality.