International journal of clinical pharmacy
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In 2009, China launched a new healthcare system, with reform of the primary healthcare system as its foundation and focus, to enable residents to access primary healthcare for simple health problems instead of seeking help at hospitals. Community pharmacies and pharmacists were to have increased responsibility in primary healthcare by delivering pharmaceutical care services in China in addition to their traditional roles of dispensing prescriptions and selling medicines. ⋯ A number of undertakings still require development, including the enactment of the Chinese Pharmacist Law, development of a standard for pharmaceutical care activities, development of the pharmacy workforce, increasing public awareness of pharmacists, and proper reimbursement for care provision. Although pharmaceutical care services are underdeveloped in China, they will become an integral part of the professional work of all pharmacists in the future, particularly in community pharmacy settings.
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Multicenter Study
Profile of prescribing errors detected by clinical pharmacists in paediatric hospitals in Spain.
Pharmaceutical care involves three essential functions: identifying potential and real medication-related problems, solving real medication-related problems and preventing potential medication related problems. ⋯ In view of the importance of the dosing errors in the prescription phase, and the clinical relevance of the errors detected, it seems to be necessary to implement measures as the development of decision support systems for paediatric dosing and strengthen the presence of pharmacists as a key element in preventing prescribing errors from reaching patients, thus ensuring that children receive effective, safe and efficient drug therapy.
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To evaluate the non-intentional prescription discrepancies between home medication and hospital medication for in-patients, their potential clinical impact and the impact of pharmaceutical communication between community pharmacists (CP) and hospital clinical pharmacists (HCP) to prevent them. ⋯ This study demonstrates the importance of drug reconciliation at patient's admission by the HCP supported by communication with the CP.
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Observational Study
Potential medication errors associated with computer prescriber order entry.
To assess the frequency of medication errors (ME) induced or enhanced by computerized physician order entry (CPOE). Error type, drug classes involved, specialty, patient outcome and system failures were also evaluated. ⋯ The use of CPOE minimises the occurrence of medication errors, however, they still occur. Most errors are associated with the CPOE technology. We therefore face a new challenge in the prevention of ME that require a change in strategy for patient safety. Continued training of prescribers, standardization of the electronic prescription programs and integration between computer applications in hospitals and with primary care should be a priority.
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BACKGROUND National guidelines in Australia advise that patients should be stabilised on both individual antihypertensive medicines before initiating a fixed-dose combination (FDC) product. ⋯ A minority of patients initiated combination products after being stabilised on both individual medicines. Significant number had no prior history of antihypertensive use. One-third of FDC initiators still required additional antihypertensive medication concurrently with the FDC product at 12 months post initiation.