Eye-Tracking Analysis of Pharmacists to Improve Prescription Audit Efficiency

Background Pharmacists need to explore more efficient method of prescription audits to ensure safe and reliable medical therapy for patients. In this study, pharmacists’ gaze movements during the prescription audit process were analyzed using an eye-tracking system. Methods First, two methods for displaying drug’s dose and usage during prescription audits were developed: “set phrase display” and “numerical table display.” Second, three key items were defined: (a) drug name, (b) drug dose and usage, and (c) dose period. The number of gaze points for these items were designated as Gaze 1, Gaze 2, and Gaze 3, and the time required for verification was recorded as Time. Third, three pairs of models (A 1 -A 2 , B 1 -B 2 , and C 1 -C 2 ) with different levels of difficulty for prescription auditing were prepared, along with one pair of models (Q 1 -Q 2 ) that included a drug–drug interaction. This study aimed to demonstrate the differences in pharmacists' information processing between the two expression methods (set-phrase display and numerical table display) using four pairs of prescription auditing models. Results A total of 22 pharmacists participated in the study. During the prescription audit process, gaze movements followed the pattern “set phrase display > numerical table display” in all three models (A 1 -A 2 , B 1 -B 2 , and C 1 -C 2 ). Significant differences between model pairs were observed in Gaze 2 and Time, both favoring “set phrase display > numerical table display”. Furthermore, significant differences in gaze movements between models Q 1 -Q 2 were consistent with those observed in the three model pairs. Recognition rates for models Q 1 -Q 2 were 72.7% (8/11) and 100% (11/11), respectively. Recognition times were 20.5 ± 6.2 and 16.0 ± 3.8, respectively. No significant differences were observed between them. Conclusions The results demonstrated that the “numerical table display” method not only enables prescription audit to be performed without unnecessary procedures but also improves the accuracy of drug–drug interaction judgments. In other words, introducing the “numerical table display” method for drug dose and usage can enhance both efficiency and safety in prescription audit.