Prescribing Errors in Nigeria’s Healthcare System; Exploration towards Promoting Rational Prescribing for Improved Patient Care

Abstract

Rational prescribing is vital to achieving rational drug use but limited studies exist on the prescription practices, causes, and types of prescription error in developing countries. Prescription error is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally. However, due to paucity of data, the figures could be alarming in developing countries. This narrative review described retrospectively the causes and types of prescription error in developing countries using Nigeria as a case study. A review of relevant literatures was carried out using PubMed, Medline, and Embase. It covered a period from January 1990 to December 2015. Hand searches of the references of retrieved literature; official search of libraries texts on literature reviews and discussions with experts in the field of reviews of the literature was conducted coupled with personal experience gathered from participating in and writing several reviews of literature. Ethically approved studies written in English Language were used for the study. The study lasted from October 2015 to April 2016. Study revealed incomplete prescription information, poor knowledge of therapeutics and prescription writing poor working condition. Understanding the trends is the first step towards effective prevention and control of the scourge.