UK primary care digital tools reduce medication errors and patient harm

Researchers at the University of Manchester, funded by the NIHR Patient Safety Research Collaboration (Greater Manchester), reviewed 74 clinical trials spanning 23 years. The study found that digital patient‑safety tools in GP practices improve medication safety by 46%, non‑medication safety processes by 77%, and reduce physical patient harm and adverse events by 17% compared with usual care.

Key programmes highlighted include the UK‑developed PINCER system, which uses electronic health records to identify and prevent incorrect prescribing, and the SMASH dashboard, a digital medication‑safety tool co‑created by NIHR, NHS partners and industry. Early evaluation of SMASH in Salford, covering over 235,000 patients across 43 GP practices, showed a 40% reduction in hazardous prescribing within 12 months, demonstrating the potential for large‑scale safety improvements in primary care.