Objectives: To analyse the quality of prescription and compliance with nursing treatment orders (NTOs) in primary care teams (PCTs), in order to identify potential problems and establish interventions.
Design: Observational, crossover study.
Setting: Three health districts in Santa Coloma de Gramenet.
Patients and other participants: NTO forms for injectable medication referred to nursing from PCTs between March 1 and November 30, 1996.
Measurements and main results: 1,088 NTO sheets containing 1,119 prescriptions were evaluated. 64.61% of the NTOs came from PCTs. Compliance with the NTO on the length of treatment (63.33%), on length and guidelines taken together (58.00%) and on allergies to medicine (28.31%) was deficient. The most prescribed therapeutic groups were medicines for the locomotive apparatus (36.10%) and drugs for infections (24.66%). 56.03% of prescriptions had high intrinsic value. It was difficult to justify 72.48% of prescriptions.
Conclusions: Deficiencies were detected in compliance with NTOs, due to the absence of information which was vital for correct administration. There was low-quality prescription and over-use of parenteral administration.