Authors (including presenting author) :
Yung L, Chu LM
Affiliation :
Department of Pharmacy, Tuen Mun Hospital, NTWC
Introduction :
Dispensing is a complex process including ensuring appropriateness of the prescription, vetting and data entry, picking, checking and issuing. Among these processes, picking process was found to be the most error-prone. In view of that, dispensing audit was carried out to review staff compliance to good dispensing practice of drug picking process.
Objectives :
To check dispensing staff’s compliance to the good dispensing practice of drug picking
To enhance staff awareness of good dispensing practice of drug picking
To identify area of improvement
Methodology :
Dispensing audit form listing nine picking steps was designed based on good dispensing practice. Among the nine picking steps, four steps were identified to be key steps.
During the auditing, auditor would observe staff picking of 5 different drug items. For picking steps not encountered during those 5 picking episodes, auditor would ask staff how they would handle those picking steps. After the audit, auditors would feedback to staff their performance.
Result & Outcome :
Since Mar 2022, around 50% of the TMH/GOPC dispensers were being audited. More than > 50% got full marks. Learning points identified were shared among pharmacy staff in lunch time sharing session. Also, the audit form was used to brief new comers of good dispensing practice of drug picking process.
