Significance of prescription elements and determination of prescription errors in psychiatry outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital

Background: Prescription is a paper or electronic document issued by licensed medical practitioner detailing the medicine or medicines to be dispensed for an individually named patient. Psychopharmacology is a rapidly growing field and psychiatrists are exposed to lots of newly introduced drugs. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the Errors in elements of Prescription in Psychiatry Outpatient Department.Methods: A cross sectional descriptive, non-interventional study in OPD of Psychiatry Department for 12weeks, 300 prescriptions was analyzed.Results: Superscription transcription and subscription was included in almost all the prescriptions. In 244 (81.33%) signature was present. Registration number was written in 177 (59.0%) prescriptions. Only 56 (18.70%) prescriptions were written in generic name and 49 (16.34%) in capital letter. The dose was written in 241 (80.34%) of the total prescription. The frequency was written for all the drugs in 273 (91.0%) and some drugs in 46 (15.34%) and none of the drugs in 13 (4.33%) of the total prescriptions. Instructions for use was written for all the drugs in 216 (72.0%) and some drugs in 39 (13.0%) and none of the drugs in 45 (15.0%) of the total prescription. Total quantity to be dispensed was written for all the drugs in 284 (94.66%) and some drugs in 9 (3.0%) and none of the drugs in 7 (2.33%) of the total prescription. Polypharmacy was observed only in a quartile of the total prescriptions.Conclusions: The results of the present study show varied compliance to different elements of prescription writing. Low level of generic prescription observed in this study is a matter of concern. Increased generic prescribing will reduce the cost of medications and promote medication adherence.