Computerised provider order entry (CPOE)

Why it matters

Handwritten orders can be illegible or incomplete, and they are transcribed again as they pass from ward to pharmacy and laboratory. CPOE removes that transcription step and allows checks at the moment of ordering. A meta analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association found that processing a prescription through CPOE reduced the likelihood of a medication error on that order by 48 per cent [1].

Key points

• Orders reach the pharmacy, laboratory or radiology with patient identity and clinical context attached.
• Decision support at order entry can check for interactions, allergies and dosing problems [2].
• Safety gains depend on how decision support is configured and on clinicians reviewing alerts [3].
• The status of each order stays visible until it is completed or cancelled.

In Moana

Doctors order medicines, laboratory tests and imaging from the patient chart in MOANA Desktop; prescriptions pass interaction and allergy checks graded by severity, and laboratory orders flow directly to MOANA LIS.

Sources

1. Reduction in medication errors in hospitals due to adoption of computerized provider order entry systems, Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 2013
2. Medication errors and adverse drug events: PSNet primer, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, accessed 2026
3. How effective are electronic medication systems in reducing medication error rates and associated harm among hospital inpatients?, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, summarising the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 2021