Discrepancies in prescribing - Where do they occur?

It is known that discrepancies occur in the supplies of medicines a patient receives when discharged from hospital into the community. This study looked at the medicine supplies to a sample of general medical patients, recruited from an urban population in east London, once discharged from hospital. It measured the prevalence of any discrepancies in medicine supplies. Two interviews were performed at one and six weeks after discharge and any discrepancies documented. The results imply that unintentional discrepancies in different supplies of the same medicines can be due to disruptions in information transmission among professionals and patients. It is hypothesised that the most beneficial approach to reducing the prevalence of these discrepancies is by modifying existing discharge planning systems. There is an additional need for increased communication between doctors and pharmacists in both hospital and community to enhance the development of a seamless standard of pharmaceutical care.