How well does your medical course prepare you for prescribing medicines? 


Concerns have recently been expressed about the ability of graduates in the UK to prescribe safely (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5192372.stm)

All UK students are  expected  to be competent prescribers at the point of graduation and to be able to:

  • 'know... how errors can happen... and principles of managing risks' (item 4)
  • 'know and understand principles of treatment... and... evaluate effectiveness against evidence... the effective and safe use of medicines as a basis for prescribing, including side effects, harmful interactions' (item 16)
  • 'work out drug dosage... write safe prescriptions...give IV, IM and SC injections... administer oxygen therapy and use a nebuliser correctly' (item 19)
  • 'provide enough information... to allow patients to make informed decisions' (item 30) (Tomorrows Doctors 2003)

For these reasons, I am embarking on a  survey of the views of Medical Students and recent graduates (in the UK and Ireland) about their Undergraduate experience of this crucial aspect of clinical practice. How do you rate the training you have received in this area? Do you feel your course will enable you to achieve the competencies outlined by the GMC? What style of training is being provided?

I would like to hear YOUR views about what is really happening in Irish Medical Schools to prepare students for the responsibility of prescribing. I would be grateful if you could fill out this brief 2 minute questionnaire. All responses are anonymous. If you have colleagues who would also like to share their views please encourage them to similarly fill out this brief questionnaire.

Any enquiries, contact me, Amy Heaton by emailing A.F.Heaton@sms.ed.ac.uk (I am conducting this as part of a 4th year SSC4 project at Edinburgh University). Thankyou in advance for your cooperation. Please note, if you completed your training in a UK Medical School visit the UK form here

 

Guidance for answering questions may be found by clicking   


About your Medical Course


The following word(s) describe(s) the style of my medical course (please tick any that apply)  🛈
 

About Your Early learning of Basic Pharmacology
(i.e What drugs are and how drugs work)



About Your Later learning of Clinical Pharmacology&Therapeutics
(i.e Using drugs in the clinical setting including prescribing)



I feel confident in the following skills (please tick those that apply to you)

The number of times I filled in a hospital prescription kardex during my training (so far) is  🛈

About Your Learning and Teaching Resources


Is there a readily identifiable individual teacher(s) who co-ordinates(ed) the Pharmacology, Therapeutics & Prescribing aspects of the course?

Which of the following group(s) have played a major role in teaching you about drugs and medicines that you will prescribe? (please tick any that apply)

Is (Was) there a local 'student formulary' that helps to focus learning around a limited group of specified drugs?  🛈

Are (Were) there any significant e-Learning resources available to reinforce learning in this area?  🛈

Your views on your training so far


I feel that the amount of teaching in Pharmacology, Therapeutics & Prescribing during my course is (was)

I feel that assessments in 'Pharmacology, Therapeutics & Prescribing' during my course thoroughly tested my knowledge and skills in this area

I rate the overall teaching of 'Pharmacology, Therapeutics & Prescribing' during my course to be

I feel confident that my training will enable me to achieve the prescribing competencies set out by the GMC

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