Safe Medication Ordering

Identifying Attributes

Care Settings
Hospital Care
Country
United States of America
Publishing Organisation
The Leapfrog Group
Type of Quality Indicator
Process
IOM Quality Dimension
Safety
Setting-Specific Domain
Medications and Medication Management

Defining Attributes

Definition

The percentage of inpatient medication orders entered electronically.

Numerator

Total number of inpatient medication orders that licensed prescribers entered via a Computerised Physician Order Entry (CPOE) system.

Denominator

Total number of inpatient medication orders.

Exclusions

• Medications ordered for any newborn in a nursery or mother's room (exclude for denominator). • New medication orders that have been modified from the original order but maintain the intent of the original order (e.g., "new" medication orders generated when a dose, route, frequency, or brand are changed) (exclude for denominator). • Medications ordered verbally during a "code blue" (i.e., medications ordered verbally when a patient requires resuscitation or needs immediate medical attention, most often as the result of a respiratory arrest or cardiac arrest) (exclude for denominator). • Medications ordered in an operating room or procedural area (exclude for denominator) (exclude for denominator). • Medications ordered verbally without readback of alerts to a licensed prescriber or medications ordered via paper (exclude for numerator). • Medication orders entered into the CPOE system by a non-licensed prescriber, such as a nurse or pharmacist, that were NOT per protocol medication orders or standing medication orders (exclude for numerator). • Medication orders entered in to the CPOE system by a non-licensed prescriber, such as a nurse or pharmacist, that DID NOT require either verbal read back of alerts or a co-signature of a licensed prescriber prior to administration (exclude for numerator).

Use of Risk Adjustment
No
Risk Adjustments

None

Stratifications

None

Collection and Reporting Attributes

Type of Data Collection
Surveys
Data Collection Methods

Leapfrog Hospital Survey

Frequency of Data Collection
Annually
Frequency of Data Collection in Days
365
Reporting Methods

Publicly reported at: ratings.leapfroggroup.org/

Reporting Frequency
Annually
Reporting Frequency in Days
365
Indicator Has Recommended Targets
Yes

Source and Reference Attributes

Link to Measurement Tools
Domain
Medication-Related
Quality Indicator Confirmed to be Part of a Program Used to Monitor Quality and Safety of Care Among Older People at a Population-Level between 2012-2022
Yes
Assessed by the Australian Consortium for Aged Care Collaborators as Generally Containing Good Properties (Importance and Scientific Acceptability)
No
Australian Consortium for Aged Care Endorsed
No
Can the Quality Indicator be Readily Implemented at a Population Level in Australia Given its Current Data Landscape?
Implementation of this quality indicator was not assessed.
Identified by PHARMA-Care Project
No
Upload Date
23 July 2025