Evaluating the Accuracy of Drug Dosing in the Prescriptions for Children under 5 Years Old from Non Pediatric Physicians in Outpatient Clinics

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Pediatric patients are more vulnerable to the effects of a medication error and may experience a more serious adverse drug reaction than adults. Dosing errors represent the most common medication errors that occur in pediatric prescriptions. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of drug dosing that prescribed for children under 5 years by non paediatric specialist physicians in their outpatient clinic setting. <b>Methods: </b>An observational study was done in a single outpatient pharmacy located in Al - Amria at Baghdad/ Iraq from May to August 2014. 24 prescriptions to children less than 5 years old from non pediatric physicians were included in this study. Each prescription will be carefully examined to collect the following data: age and weight of the patient, diagnosis of the case, the name of the prescribed drugs with their strength, dose, route of administration and frequency of usage. All children were weighted in the pharmacy. Determination of the accuracy of drug dosing for each drug in all prescriptions was based mainly on drug dosing that stated in BNF for children. <b>Results: </b>The percent of correct dosing in the prescriptions of non pediatricians in their outpatient clinics to children below 5 years old is only 31%. Dosing error was more common (90%) in infants than in older children (64.5%). antibiotics were the most common class of drugs that prescribed to children, while the highest percent of dosing error was related to steroid, antipyretic and analgesic prescribing. <b>Conclusion:</b> Dosing error is a common problem in the Rx of non pediatrician in outpatient clinics for preschool children in general and for infants specially.