Software glitch causes prescription error across R.I.
Lifespan, a five-hospital system based in Providence, R.I., reported to the R.I. Department of Health its discovery and correction of an issue with software used to generate medication instructions provided to discharged patients from Rhode Island Hospital/Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Miriam Hospital, Bradley Hospital and Newport Hospital.
The software issue led to some discharged patients, who should have received a prescription for timed-release form of their medication, possibly receiving a prescription or instructions for the regular form. Timed-release medications are generally taken once a day, whereas the regular formulation provides the same effective dose of the medication, but the medication is taken multiple times over the course of a day.
The issue does not affect emergency room patients or outpatients.
Lifespan contacted 2,000 patients affected by this issue to ensure they receive the correct form of their medications. Many of the patients were already taking the correct medication, according to the provider.
Lifespan asked affected patients to contact their primary care providers to review the instructions for taking their medications and will pay for physician visits, if necessary, for patients to review the involved medications with their physician. If patients do not have a primary care provider, Lifespan gave patients the option of visiting a hospital to review their medications, at no cost to them.
The affected patients were discharged starting in January from Newport Hospital, February from Miriam Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and July 2010 from Bradley Hospital.
The software issue led to some discharged patients, who should have received a prescription for timed-release form of their medication, possibly receiving a prescription or instructions for the regular form. Timed-release medications are generally taken once a day, whereas the regular formulation provides the same effective dose of the medication, but the medication is taken multiple times over the course of a day.
The issue does not affect emergency room patients or outpatients.
Lifespan contacted 2,000 patients affected by this issue to ensure they receive the correct form of their medications. Many of the patients were already taking the correct medication, according to the provider.
Lifespan asked affected patients to contact their primary care providers to review the instructions for taking their medications and will pay for physician visits, if necessary, for patients to review the involved medications with their physician. If patients do not have a primary care provider, Lifespan gave patients the option of visiting a hospital to review their medications, at no cost to them.
The affected patients were discharged starting in January from Newport Hospital, February from Miriam Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital, and July 2010 from Bradley Hospital.
Beth Walsh,
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.