Wrongly prescribed half tablets in a Swiss University Hospital

oxazepam (Seresta®) 15 mg (1.2%; with decorative score line). Conclusion: Prescribing of 1/2 tablets is common and concerns every 10th discharge prescriptions. It represents a pharmaceutical care issue, since in almost every second case, an identical drug with half the dosage strength is commercially available and a substitution could be offered by the community pharmacist. Further, one out of 5 prescribed 1/2 tablets is wrong or untraceable in the official sources of drug information and represents a safety issue. In all cases, time consuming and costly clarifications must be undertaken, ultimately the physician must be consulted, in order to modify the prescription or to dispense the prescribed ½ tablets as off-label use. If splitting is al-lowed, the patient’s cognitive and physical capacities have to be clarified and appropriate aids have to be offered, e.g. a pill splitter, in order to insure the safe use of the drug.