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

The General Medical Council expects you 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 nationwide survey of Medical Students' views 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 UK 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 studies in Ireland go to the Ireland form here  

Guidance for answering questions may be found by clicking