According to Otago University study, pharmacists are over-involved rectifying mistakes in doctor’s prescription and this is taking away precious time, which could be used up for counseling patients.

More than 24,000 prescriptions given by 20 Dunedin pharmacies were examined and it was found that more than 5 percent of prescriptions were weighed down by needless bureaucratic and lawful matters.

"This limits the time pharmacists can spend on providing the necessary clinical care they are trained to do," lead author Rhiannon Braund said.

It is said that the maximum errors made by prescribers comprise the use of trade-names on a prescription in place of naming generic Pharmac funded medicines. Also there were errors like not signing and on sometimes altered doses which required to be checked by the pharmacist.

According to Dr. Braund, the study brought to light the requirement for better alertness amid doctors and prescribers of this time-wasting trouble.

The study was launched by Dr. Braund after receiving a number of grievances from pharmacists that they had to spend a lot of time on bureaucratic work.

The international pharmacy journal Pharmacy World in Science has published the study.