Table 1. Frequency and percentages of e-prescribing-related problems in PEER reports a .
| e-Prescribing problem category | Event reached patient, n (%) | Near miss, n (%) | Unsafe condition, n (%) | Total, n (%) c |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIG/directions | 21 (10.0) | 97 (46.2) | 92 (43.8) b | 210 (21.9) |
| Quantity selection | 12 (7.6) | 80 (50.6) | 66 (41.8) | 158 (16.5) |
| Drug selection | 12 (12.5) | 52 (54.2) | 32 (33.3) | 96 (10.0) |
| e-Prescription contains conflicting information | 6 (6.3) | 37 (38.5) | 53 (55.2) | 96 (10.0) |
| Dose selection | 8 (8.8) | 58 (65.2) | 23 (25.8) | 89 (9.3) |
| Dosage form selection | 3 (5.4) | 31 (56.4 | 21 (38.2) | 55 (5.7) |
| e-Prescription data fields are used inappropriately | 4 (9.5) | 11 (26.2) | 27 (64.3) | 42 (4.3) |
| e-Prescription missing essential information | 0 | 12 (31.6) | 26 (68.4) | 38 (3.9) |
| Incorrect patient | 2 (8.0) | 18 (72.0) | 5 (20.0) | 25 (2.6) |
| Route selection | 0 | 11 (50.0) | 11 (50.0) | 22 (2.6) |
| Legibility/font/unsafe nomenclature or other system design feature | 1 (5.3) | 4 (21.1) | 14 (73.7) | 19 (1.9) |
| Data transmission error that affects the quality or safety of patient care | 0 | 6 (40.0) | 9 (60.0) | 15 (1.5) |
| Controlled substance d | 0 | 4 (36.4) | 7 (63.6) | 11 (1.1) |
| Date selection | 1 (16.7) | 4 (66.7) | 1 (16.7) | 6 (0.6) |
| Data fields too small to record all information input by prescriber | 0 | 0 | 6 (100) | 6 (0.6) |
| Other | 6 (8.8) | 14 (20.6) | 48 (70.6) | 68 (7.1) |
| Total | 76 (7.9) | 439 (45.9) | 441 (46.1) | 956 |
a
Reporters had the option to select more than one category per report.
b
Row percentage.
c
Column percentage; PEER (Pharmacy and Provider e-prescribing Experience Reporting ), SIG (“let it be labeled,” i.e., Directions).
d
This category refers to the reception of an e-prescription for controlled substances where either the provider software was not compliant of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulations, or the state legislation at the time of reporting did not allow pharmacists to fill e-prescriptions of controlled substances.