74%). PIP was strongly associated with polypharmacy, with those receiving 4 or more medications different

medications http://www.selleckchem.com/HSP-90.html being 17 times more likely to be exposed to PIP compared to those receiving 0–3 medications (Odds Ratio 17.87; 95% Confidence Intervals, 17.66–18.08). There was no association with age and gender. Following application of a subset of the STOPP criteria (28 in total), PIP was lower in the UK (14.87%) compared to NI (34%) and the ROI (36%). Despite this, the most common examples of PIP were similar in each region i.e. use of proton pump inhibitors at maximum therapeutic dose for >8 weeks and use of NSAIDs for >3months. Consistent with other research, the prevalence of PIP in the UK was high and increased with polypharmacy. Whilst PIP was found to be lower in the UK than in NI and ROI, this comparison was based on a limited number of criteria and the most common inappropriate medications were consistently the same in each region. These findings may provide a focus for targeted interventions to reduce PIP. 1. Klarin I, Wimo A, Fastbom J. The association of inappropriate

drug use with hospitalisation and mortality: a population-based study of the very old. Drugs Aging 2005; 22: 69–82. 2. Hanlon JT, Maher R, Lindblad CI Ruby CM, Twersky J, Cohen HJ, Schmader KE. Comparison of methods for detecting potential adverse drug events in frail elderly inpatients and outpatients. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2001; 58: 1622–1626. Yogini Jani1,2, TF Chan3, Sarla OSI-744 mouse Drayan4, Wendy Spicer5, Helen Taylor6, Robert Urquhart1 1UCLH NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, 2UCL School of Pharmacy, London, UK, 3Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital NHS Trust, Hertfordshire, UK, 4North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK, 5Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, 6The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, London, UK Standardisation of inpatient prescription charts has been suggested as a strategy for improving the quality of documentation and reducing prescribing errors. A collaborative approach by 5 acute NHS organisations led to the successful design and trial of a standard inpatient

chart. The new chart resulted in an improvement in the quality of allergy status documentation but a reduction in documentation of patient’s weight. Users reported the Metalloexopeptidase new design had a positive effect in highlighting high risk areas and thus improving patient safety. Prescribing errors in hospitalised patients are common and may occur in up to one in ten prescribed items. In the UK, the General Medical Council (GMC) called for a national prescription chart to reduce errors.1 Implementation of a standard chart in Australia showed a reduction in the frequency of prescribing errors, improved adverse drug reaction documentation and decreased the potential risks associated with warfarin management.2 This quality improvement project was undertaken as a collaborative between five acute NHS organisations.