Prescribing safety: the case of inappropriate medicines

摘要

Prescribing is a common outcome of many general practice consultations, and is the principle therapeutic intervention offered by the NHS. It is essential that this critical activity is clinically effective, cost-effective, and safe. Rates of prescribing are increasing year-on-year, with the average person in England receiving 17.8 prescription items in 2010 - an increase of 63% over the past decade. The potential for adverse drug reactions is therefore considerable and growing. It is also exacerbated by the inappropriate or unnecessary use of pharmaceutical agents. A number of articles in this month's issue of the BJGP examine commonly-used medicines, in particular, antibiotics, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines, which together account for over 10% of the 1 billion drugs issued last year. Although perhaps not immediately evident, all these papers have implications from a safety perspective.