Purdue Pharma and 10 pharmaceutical companies investigated 270 drug summaries on five online drug information compendia: Medscape, Lexicomp Online, Epocrates Online, Drugs.com and RxList. Annals of Pharmacotherapy will publish the study.
Here are four observations:
1. The study found the sites include some misinformation that may harm patient safety by drug misuse.
2. The study authors found several instances of inaccuracies and outdated information in drug summaries.
3. In total, the study found a median average of 782 errors on the websites.
4. The researchers found the most errors in the “dosage and administration,” “patient education” and “warnings and precautions” categories.
More articles on quality & infection control:
Can patients’ families prevent medical errors? — 5 notes
American Pain Society updates postoperative pain guidelines: 5 things to know
The fight is not over for Ebola survivors — 4 observations
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.