An online prescribing audit is a review of the processes and systems that are used to prescribe medications online. It may be conducted by a healthcare organization, regulatory body, or other entity, and it typically involves reviewing the policies, procedures, and practices that are in place to ensure the safe and appropriate prescribing of medications through an online platform.
The objectives of an online prescribing audit may include:
- Assessing the safety and effectiveness of the online prescribing process
- Evaluating the compliance of the online prescribing process with relevant laws and regulations
- Identifying any potential risks to patient safety or quality of care
- Making recommendations for improving the online prescribing process
During an online prescribing audit, the auditor may review the policies and procedures that are in place for prescribing medications online, as well as the systems and tools that are used to facilitate the prescribing process. They may also review records and data related to online prescribing, and may conduct interviews with relevant staff and stakeholders. The findings of the audit may be used to identify any areas of concern or improvement, and to develop recommendations for improving the online prescribing process.
We offer professionally written, high-quality template packages for conducting an online prescribing audit. Below is a simple excerpt from the package:
Methodology
Population: Users of the website: www.yourwebsitename.com
Sampling: Ten prescriptions and associated documents should be selected or more if required
Frequency of Audit: As determined by health service providers audit process for prescribing practice and medicine management
Method: This is a retrospective audit
Part 1: Demographic Details
| Name of Person conducting the audit: | |
| Work Address: | |
| Area of Practice: | |
| Date of Audit: | |
| Audit Planning Timeline: | Quarterly 6 monthly Annually Post incident If other please state |
| Audited by: | Signed by: |
Part 2: Audit Tool
| Answer Yes / No / N/A | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total | % | |
| Patient Assessment: | |||||||||||||
| 1. | Online Assessment | ||||||||||||
| 2. | Present/previous history (including medications) | ||||||||||||
| 3. | Relevant clinical details (examinations and investigations) | ||||||||||||
| 4. | Medication interactions & contraindications | ||||||||||||
| 5. | Medication Allergies | ||||||||||||
| 6. | Rationale for the prescribing decision | ||||||||||||
| Prescription Writing Must: | |||||||||||||
| 7. | Be legible (if non-digital) | ||||||||||||
| 8. | Have the correct name of the medicinal product | ||||||||||||
| 9. | Have the correct dose of the medicinal product | ||||||||||||
| 10. | Have the correct route of the medicinal product | ||||||||||||
| 11. | Have the correct frequency of the medicinal product | ||||||||||||
| 12. | State the name of the RN/MP including their signature (as per NMBI) | ||||||||||||
| 13. | State the NMBI PIN(Personal Identification Number) | ||||||||||||
| 14. | Use indelible ink including computer generated prescriptions | ||||||||||||
| 15. | Be dated | ||||||||||||
| 16. | State full name of the patient/service user | ||||||||||||
| 17. | State the address of the patient/service user | ||||||||||||
| 18. | State the date of birth where the patient/service user is under the age of 12 years | ||||||||||||
| Medication Appropriateness: | |||||||||||||
| 19. | Is the medicinal product appropriate for the condition? | ||||||||||||
| 20. | Is there unnecessary duplication with other medicinal products? | ||||||||||||
| 21. | Is a relevant follow-up plan recorded? |
Part 3: Audit Tool for Prescription Writing for MDA Schedule 8 Medicinal Products
| Answer Yes / No / N/A | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total | % | |
| The Prescription must Specify in the Prescriber’s Handwriting: | |||||||||||||
| 22. | Is the prescription handwritten | ||||||||||||
| 23. | The name of the controlled drug to be prescribed | ||||||||||||
| 24. | Is the dose of the controlled drug to be taken by the person for whose treatment the prescription is issued | ||||||||||||
| In the case of a Prescription for a Controlled Drug which is a Preparation the prescriber must include: | |||||||||||||
| 25. | The form and, where appropriate, the strength of the controlled drug to be supplied | ||||||||||||
| 26. | Either the total quantity (in both words and figures) of the preparation or the number (in both words and figures) of dosage units, as appropriate, to be supplied | ||||||||||||
| 27. | In the case of a prescription for a controlled drug which is not a preparation, the total quantity (in both words and figures) of the controlled drug to be supplied | ||||||||||||
| 28. | In the case of a prescription for a total quantity to be dispensed in instalments, the number of instalments and the intervals at which instalments may be dispensed. |
Calculation of Compliance Rate Percentage
The audit tool calculates the score for the audit. The score, expressed as a percentage, is calculated by dividing the number of “yes” answers by the total of “yes” and “no” answers. “Not applicable” answers are excluded from the calculation of the percentage score.
Example:
If there are 18 “yes” and 2 “no” answers, the score is calculated as follows:
18 (yes answers) divided by 20 (total of yes and no answers) multiplied by 100. The score in this example would be 90%.
