Evaluation of Factors Influencing the Dispensing of Refill Medications at the Fourth-Floor Outpatient Pharmacy, Hamad Hospital, Qatar: A Retrospective Observational Study
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Abstract
Background: Refilling prescriptions at outpatient pharmacies is an important part of managing chronic
illnesses since it has a big effect on patient safety, following prescription regimens, and the efficiency of the
healthcare system. Because there are so many patients and the prescriptions are so complicated.
Objective: The study aims to evaluate three primary factors influencing the dispensing of refill
medications: inaccuracies in prescription entry by physicians and chemists, the effects of altered
appointment dates, and inconsistencies between sanctioned refill quantities and appointment schedules.
Methods: Retrospective observational research encompassing 13,500 adult patients with active refill
authorizations was executed from January to March 2025. The information came from the outpatient
pharmacy on the fourth floor of Qatar's Hamad Hospital. Descriptive and inferential statistics, like t-tests
and chi-square tests, were used to look into error rates and how they connect to demographic and
prescription-related factors.
Results: According to our investigation, the most common mistake was mismatched appointments and
refill amounts (37.8%), followed by changes to appointment dates (25.9%) and inaccuracies in physician
input (17.3%). Pharmacists made 12.3% of the mistakes, and doctors and pharmacists together made 6.7%
of the mistakes. General medicine had the most mistakes (67.3% for mismatches and 63.8% for
appointment changes), while pulmonary departments had the most chemistry mistakes (60.0%).
Conclusion: Most of the time, mistakes in giving medications happen because of changes in the schedule,
checking prescriptions, and conflicts in the schedule.
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Medication refill, dispensing errors, appointment scheduling, prescription accuracy, outpatient pharmacy
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