The costs attributed to prescription errors negatively affect the profits of retail pharmacy businesses. The U.S. prescription error rate since 2010 was 0.1%, yet with more than 3.5 billion prescriptions filled annually in the United States, the outcome is more than 3.5 million prescription-dispensing errors and an annual cost of more than $16 billion. Using the performance prism theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies retail pharmacy managers used to increase profit by reducing prescription errors. Using purposeful sampling, 5 retail pharmacy managers in Miami, Florida, were selected as participants because they had implemented strategies to reduce prescription errors. Data were collected using semistructured, face-to-face interviews with 5 pharmacy managers, and company records consisting of quality improvement incident reports, income statements, and balance sheets. Data analysis occurred using methodological triangulation and following Yin's 5-step process of compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding the data. The 3 emergent themes were prescription error reducing strategy, profitability improvement strategy through reduced prescription errors, and technology strategy for reducing prescription error. The findings indicated that prescription error reducing strategies are essential for pharmacy managers to increase profits. The implications for positive social change include the potential for retail pharmacy managers to reduce the cost of health care in their communities, prevent prescription error-related hospitalizations and deaths, and improve employment conditions and economic activity in their communities.

Submitted by Ana Lúcia Torres (bfmhuap@gmail.com) on 2017-10-30T12:53:18Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) DISSERTAÇAO MAURICIO OLIVEIRA JUNIOR.pdf: 1023259 bytes, checksum: 4ed2457b73e6102347a2ed9685dc851c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Lúcia Torres (bfmhuap@gmail.com) on 2017-10-30T12:53:27Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) DISSERTAÇAO MAURICIO OLIVEIRA JUNIOR.pdf: 1023259 bytes, checksum: 4ed2457b73e6102347a2ed9685dc851c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-30T12:53:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) DISSERTAÇAO MAURICIO OLIVEIRA JUNIOR.pdf: 1023259 bytes, checksum: 4ed2457b73e6102347a2ed9685dc851c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017 / Universidade Federal Fluminense. Centro de Ciências Médicas. Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro / A primeira etapa da chegada do medicamento até o paciente se inicia através da elaboração da prescrição, sendo um dos pontos críticos e que influencia diretamente possíveis erros em etapas posteriores. No Brasil, através da portaria 529 de 2013 do Ministério da Saúde fica instituído o Programa Nacional de Segurança do Paciente que tem como objetivo estimular a cultura de segurança e para isso determina algumas ações e estratégias. Ainda em 2013 é lançado uma coleção de 6 protocolos de segurança, ente eles o de prescrição, uso e administração de medicamentos, que traz orientação para minimização do risco quanto ao processo de utilização do medicamento dentro de estabelecimentos de saúde. O presente estudo teve como objetivos analisar a adequação das prescrições em um hospital universitário frente ao protocolo, analisando para tal os diferentes setores e quantificando os tipos de prescrições existentes. Para tanto foi feito um estudo retrospectivo, onde foram analisadas 2006 prescrições, totalizando 20255 medicamentos onde a média foi de 10,10 ± (5,10) medicamentos por prescrição. Dessas, 100% (n=2006) tiveram algum tipo de erro, 47,6% (n=954) tiveram antibióticos prescritos e 87,5% (n=1755) de injetáveis prescritos. Dos medicamentos analisados 79,2% (n=16049) foram prescritos pelo nome genérico e 96,4% (n=19524) constavam na lista de padronização do hospital. Quanto ao tipo de prescrições 73,8% (n=1480) foram digitadas, 16,7% (n=336) foram manuscritas e 9,5% (n=190) foram mistas, sendo que 5,98% (n=120) foram consideradas ilegíveis (n=6), ou parcialmente ilegíveis (n=114) e desse total 94,2% (n=112) foi proveniente das prescrições manuscritas o que mostra uma associação entre a legibilidade e o tipo de prescrição. É importante ressaltar que a busca pela qualidade e segurança é um processo constante, devendo estar sempre em evolução na instituição, e diante do exposto, a identificação das inadequações, pode contribuir com o direcionamento das ações internas para minimizar os riscos aos pacientes, assim como servir como base para estudos futuros / The first stage of the arrival of the drug to the patient begins with the elaboration of the prescription, being one of the critical points and that directly influences possible errors in later stages. In Brazil, starting in 2013, the National Patient Safety Program (PNSP) is set up in order to stimulate the safety culture, and for this purpose it determines some actions and strategies. Also in 2013, a collection of 6 safety protocols, including prescription, use and administration of medicines, is launched, which provides guidance on risk minimization regarding the process of drug use within health facilities. The present study had as objectives to analyze the adequacy of the prescription of a university hospital regarding such protocol, analyzing the different sectors and quantifying the types of prescriptions available. For that, a retrospective study was carried out, where 2006 prescriptions were analyzed and a total of 20255 drugs were used, where the average was 10.10 ± (5.10) prescription medications. Of these, 100% (n = 2006) had some type of error, 47.56% (n = 954) had prescribed antibiotics and 87.49% (n = 1755) of prescribed injectables. Of the drugs analyzed, 79.23% (n = 16049) were prescribed by the generic name and 96.39% (n = 19524) were on the hospital standardization list. Regarding the type of prescriptions 73.8% (n = 1480) were entered,16.7% (n = 336) were handwritten and 9.5% (n = 190) were mixed, with 5.98% (n=120 were considered illegible (n = 6) or partially illegible (n = 114) and 94.2% (n = 112) came from handwritten prescriptions, which shows an association between readability and type of prescription. It is important to emphasize that the search for quality and safety is a constant process, and should always be evolving in the institution and before the exposed the identification of the inadequacies, can contribute with the direction of the internal actions to minimize the risks as well as to serve as basis for studies Futures