The impact of a hospital electronic prescribing and medication administration system on medication administration safety: an observational study

Table 2 Medication administration errors observed pre- and post-ePA

	Pre-ePA (paper only; 428 OEs)		Post-ePA (ePA only; 528 OEs)			Post-ePA (ePA and paper; 597 OEs)
	n	Percentage (95% CI)	n	Percentage (95% CI)	P value^a	n	Percentage (95% CI)	P value^b
Total MAEs	18	4.2% (2.3–6.1)	18	3.4 (1.9–5.0)	0.64	24	4.0% (2.4–5.6)	0.99
MAEs excluding omission due to unavailability of drug	12	2.8% (1.2–4.4)	11	2.1% (0.9–3.3)	0.61	12	2.0% (0.9–3.1)	0.54
Only MAEs due to unavailability of drug	6	1.4% (0.2–2.5)	7	1.3% (0.3–2.3)	0.86	12	2.0% (0.9–3.1)	0.62

CI confidence interval, OE opportunity for error, MAE medication administration error, n number of errors, ePA electronic prescribing and administration system
^a χ² test for association between pre-ePA and post-ePA (ePA only) MAE rate
^b χ² test for association between pre-ePA and post-ePA (ePA and paper) MAE rate

ISSN: 1472-6963