Table 1.

Examples of clinical prescribing errors identified

Error type	Medication order	Description of error
Wrong drug (drug– disease interaction)	Metoclopramide 10 mg intravenously three times daily when required	Prescribed for patient with Parkinson’s disease
Wrong drug (drug–disease interaction)	Aspirin 100 mg orally once daily	Prescribed for patient with corrosive gastritis/duodenitis and for whom there was no active disease for which aspirin is required
Wrong dose	Fexofenadine 120 mg orally once only	Prescribed for allergic urticaria involving lip, eye and skin. Indicated dose for urticaria is 180 mg
Duplicated drug therapy	Paracetamol 1 g orally four times daily when required	Regular paracetamol (1 g three times daily) already charted, potentially exceeding maximum daily dose of 4 g
Wrong strength	Thyroxine 50 mg orally once daily	Dose should have been 50 μg