Documentation of drug allergy on drug chart in patients presenting for surgery

Background  This study looked into documentation of drug allergy in preoperative patients charts who were presenting for elective surgery to enhance patient safety. Aims and objectives  To determine the rate of completion of drug allergy. Three hundred charts were evaluated for completion of the drug allergy box during January and February 2006. Results  Thirty percent charts were not documented for drug allergy. Conclusion  A multifaceted approach is necessary to address this important aspect to identify drug errors and enhance patient safety.