Safe medication practice tutorials: a practical approach to preparing prescribes

摘要

Clinically significant prescribing errors occur in betwee 0.3 and 39.1 per cent of prescriptions, many of which result in patient harm. A report by the British government in 2004 reviewed the causes and frequency of medication errors, which included prescribing errors. The report identified models of good practice to improve medication safety, many of which focus on reducing prescribing errors. A recent symposium focused on the importance of education as the cornerstone in the improvement of the safety of prescribing. Recommendations included enhanced pharmacology and therapeutics training for medical students and junior doctors. The General Medical Council (GMC) in the UK recommends that graduate doctors have knowledge and understanding of 'the effective and safe use of medicines as the basis of prescribing' and the ability to write safe prescriptions. Glavin recommends that clinical teachers should include patient safety messages throughout the medical curriculum.