Background A variety of errors in the medication process means reduced safety for the patient and less effective treatment.

Purpose To analyse from the Unidosis area the types of intervention, medicines-related problems (MRPs), impact and savings recorded in the ISOFAR programme.

Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was performed of the interventions made by the Pharmacy service since the establishment of the ISOFAR programme (from March 2007 to April 2011). Each intervention was recorded and a note made in the patient data: type of intervention, MRPs, impact and savings of the intervention.

Results In the period of the study a total of 6116 interventions covering: change of drug (52%), maintenance of treatments not included in the Hospital Pharmacotherapeutic Guide (23%), incomplete medical orders (15%), discontinued drugs (4%) and other reasons (6%) were recorded. The MRPs detected with the interventions were classified as: change by Therapeutic Exchange Protocol (TEP) (26.8%), necessary drug but not included in the TEP (22.9%), no adjustment to protocols (14.6%), change discussed (10.1%) and incomplete order (2.1%). In 53% the impact of the intervention was on effectiveness and in 24% on safety. The total savings in the evaluated period reached 184,153.47 euros.

Conclusions The most frequent intervention was a change of medicine probably due to the physician’s ignorance of the Hospital Pharmacotherapeutic Guide and the Therapeutic Exchange Protocol; therefore it would be appropriate to consider the inclusion of new drugs in the HPG. A high percentage of medical orders were badly written, so the patient did not receive the medicine. The interventions were intended to improve the efficacy and safety of the prescribed drugs and moreover provide an important financial saving.

No conflict of interest.