The objective of the study was to observe the problems of drug administration via nasogastric tubing prescribed by doctors and administered by nurses. The effects of pharmacist intervention on the doctor's knowledge about the drugs which should not be prescribed for administration via this route and the nurse's knowledge about the technique of drug administration via this route were also studied.

This study was carried out in 5 wards in Hatyai Hospital. Seventeen doctors and 70 nurses were enrolled in the program. The study was divided into 3 phases. Phase 1 was a pre-intervention phase (2 months) during which data were collected from both doctors and nurses by interviews. The data from doctors involved the appropriateness of prescribing certain drug items and those from nurses involved the technique of drug administration via nasogastric tubing. Phase 2 was a pharmacist intervention phase (2 months) during which information about drugs that should not be administered via nasogastric tubing was given to the doctors by documentation as well as by direct explanation. For the nurses, two seminars were arranged to explain the proper technique of nasogastric tubing. Phase 3 was a post-intervention phase (3 months) in which data similar to those in phase 1 were collected. Concurrently, the practical performances of the doctors were observed in all enrolled cases whereas those of the nurses were observed by accidental randomized sampling.

The results revealed that the knowledge scores of the 17 enrolled doctors about the sustained release dosage drugs which should not be administered via nasogastric tubing in phase 3 were higher than those in phase 1 (p-value = .015). After the intervention phase, only 4 of 23 drug items which should not be crushed for tube administration were still prescribed via nasogastric tubing. The results of interviewing the 70 nurses revealed that their knowledge scores regarding the eight topics of administration technique in phase 3 were higher than those in phase 1. Inappropriate administration techniques were reduced after pharmacist intervention, and 4 topics were being reduced significantly (p < .0001).

From observation of 10 doctors giving prescriptions via nasogastric tubing to 29 patients, only 4 drugs which should not be administered via nasogastric tubing were still prescribed. Some drug administration technique via nasogastric tubing in 11 patients by 20 nurses in the present study were also observed. Giving many drug items without water flushing between each item was still found.

The present study revealed that pharmacist intervention could significantly reduce errors in prescribing and administering drugs as well as increase the knowledge of doctors and nurses regarding drug administration via nasogastric tube.