Syed Yasir Ali Hashmi, Asif Khaliq, Jabeen Sultana.
Medicine Returns from Wards to Pharmacies in Tertiary Care Hospital Setting of Karachi: Factor Analysis and its Effect on Pharmacy Services.
Isra Med J Jan ;9(3):157-60.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the frequency and contributing factors for medicine return from wards to the Pharmacy Department and its effects on medication errors. STUDY DESIGN: ARetrospective Cohort Study st st PLACE AND DURATION: The study was conducted from 1 January 2014 to 31 March 2014 in a tertiary care hospital of Karachi. METHODOLOGY: In this study, 10 medicines were chosen by non-probability sampling methods which are part of nursing floor stock and have highest prescribing and return rates from wards to pharmacy. All the antibiotics, refrigerated medicines, extemporaneous compounding's (sterile or non-sterile) and those dispensed at OPD pharmacy setting were excluded. Beside medicine return data, reported error medicine data was also taken. RESULTS: 60% of the medicines return from wards to the pharmacy was of injectable dosage form, followed by oral dosage form i.e., 30%. The major contributing factors for the return of medicines from wards to pharmacy were discharge of patients (39.1%), discontinuation of medicine (20.9%), and deactivation of medicine order (8.4%). The operating room pharmacy received highest number of medicine return, i.e., 34.2%, followed by Medicine pharmacy, i.e. 27%. Similarly the highest numbers of reported medicine errors were observed in operating room pharmacy and medicine ward pharmacy, i.e. 35.8% and 24.6% respectively CONCLUSION: The medicine return is proportionate to the medication error. Both the medicine return and medication errors can be controlled by upgrading nursing floor stock medicines list and also by improving the medication management system.

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