Title:Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Survey Regarding High Alert Medication
Among Resident Doctors in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in
Eastern India
Volume: 17
Issue: 4
Author(s): Dwaipayan Sarathi Chakraborty*, Bikashkali Kar, Shouvik Choudhury, Abhijnan Ghosh, Kalyan Samanta and Avijit Hazra
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacology, Diamond Harbour Government Medical College & Hospital, Diamond Harbour, West
Bengal, India
Keywords:
Medication error, high-alert medication, patient safety, knowledge-attitude-practice, medical residents, questionnaire.
Abstract:
Background: Medication errors are a reality in all settings where medicines are prescribed,
dispensed, and used. High-alert medications (HAM) are those that bear a heightened risk
of causing significant harm to the patient if used erroneously. Though mishaps with HAM may not
be more common than with other drugs, the consequences of error with them can be especially serious.
We conducted a survey on knowledge, attitude, and practice, among residents working in a
teaching hospital to assess the ground situation regarding HAM awareness and handling.
Methods: We approached 492 residents among the approximately 600 currently working through
purposive sampling. Residents in all disciplines (clinical, paraclinical, and preclinical) were targeted.
A structured questionnaire with 54 questions, pilot-tested on 20 volunteer residents, was used
for data collection. The questionnaire was administered to residents through face-to-face interviews
by two raters while they were on duty, but not during rush hours.
Results: Of the total 261 responses received, 32.33% respondents correctly defined or explained
the meaning of the term ‘medication error’. Knowledge regarding the difference between medication
error and adverse events did not get reflected in 68.38% of the participants, and only 16.86%
were able to name the relevant group of medicines as HAM. Regarding attitude in dealing with
HAM, the majority believed that taking the history of drug allergy and reconciling all prescription
and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs already being used before prescribing or using medicine is important.
In practice, most respondents followed protocols but not routinely. Several potential errors
in practice were identified.
Conclusion: The current situation requires corrective action. There is an urgent need for improving
awareness regarding HAM for the sake of patient safety. The pharmacology department can take
the lead in designing awareness campaigns with support from the hospital administration.
