Examining variations in prescribing safety in UK general practice: cross sectional study using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

Stocks SJ, Kontopantelis E, Akbarov A, Rodgers S, Avery AJ, Ashcroft DM. BMJ. 2015;351:h5501.

Prescribing errors are a serious source of patient harm in primary care. This cross-sectional study in the United Kingdom found wide variation in the prevalence of potentially hazardous prescribing ranging from nearly zero to 10%, and for inadequate medication monitoring ranging from 10% to 42% between practices.