Supply of prepacked over-the-counter medication in an emergency department pharmacy: a pilot study

Background Nonurgent cases presented to the emergency department (ED) would usually be discharged with over-the-counter (OTC) medication. In a computerised government-funded hospital in Malaysia, standard amounts of medication are dispensed in a prepacked form. Objectives To investigate the number of ED revisits among patients who receive prepacked OTC medication. Methods Past electronic prescriptions were generated and reviewed individually. All prescriptions containing OTC medicines were followed up for 2 weeks. Key findings There were 401 OTC prescriptions analysed. Only 47 (12%) revisited the ED. Eight patients (2%) revisited possibly due to insufficient medication. Conclusion The current practice of dispensing prepacked medication may be continued and may be suitable for pharmacies handling prescriptions for OTC medication.