Alerts that GPs incorrectly believed their computer system would warn them about
| Alert | Percentage believing they would be warned | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| System A(n = 12) | System B(n = 150) | System C(n = 17) | System D(n = 18) | |
| √, alert specified is an integral part of this system. | ||||
| *Note that, when the systems were evaluated, the 10 most frequently used drug pairs with similar names were tested. No system provided a warning in all cases.18 | ||||
| Contraindication alerts, e.g. alerting them to a past medical history of peptic ulcer when trying to prescribe an NSAID to a patient | 16.7 | 69.3 | 23.5 | 55.6 |
| Alerts regarding frequency of dose, e.g. alerting them that methotrexate is normally prescribed weekly | 0 | √ | 5.9 | 5.6 |
| Alerts regarding drugs with similar names, e.g. alerting them to a potential hazard if they were to select penicillamine rather than penicillin* | 8.3 | 34.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Alerts warning them that a patient may be overusing their medication when it comes to trying to issue a repeat prescription | √ | 96.0 | 35.3 | 27.8 |