A prescription for better prescribing

doi:10.1136/bmj.38946.491829.BE

BMJ 2006;333:459-460 (2 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.38946.491829.BE

Editorial

A prescription for better prescribing

Many medical students are unprepared for skilled prescribing

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

It's that time of year again. The new junior members of staffhave arrived and the old anxiety emerges—are they welltrained? In particular, are they properly trained in practicaldrug therapy and prescribing? We believe they may not be.

In July we drew attention, yet again, to what we and many othersperceive to be a serious problem in British medicine—poorprescribing.^{w1 w2} We emphasised that deficiencies are not confinedto the United Kingdom, and three days later the Institute ofMedicine in the United States independently expressed similarconcerns.^w3 The chairman of the medical academic staff committeeof the British Medical Association later concurred,^w4 and theHealthcare Commission urged the NHS to improve prescribing.^w5

Evidence of poor prescribing in the UK is abundant. Effectivetreatments, such as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitorsfor heart failure¹ and statins for hyperlipidaemia,² are oftenunderprescribed. Prescription errors are common,³ especiallywhen new . . . [Full text of this article]

Jeffrey K Aronson, president elect

British Pharmacological Society, London EC1V 2SC
(jeffrey.aronson@clinpharm.ox.ac.uk)

Graeme Henderson, president, David J Webb, Chairman of the committee of heads and professors of clinical pharmacology

British Pharmacological Society, London EC1V 2SC

Michael D Rawlins, professor

Wolfson Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH

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Rapid Responses:

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Education for better prescribing: Peter D Burrill M.R.Pharm.S
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Where is the evidence for the prescription?: Sam Leinster, et al.
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A remedy for better prescribing: Aaron J Brady
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Missing the Forest for the Trees: Steven J Kovacs, PharmD
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Pharmacists and Pharmacological Capacity: Behind every good prescriber is a good pharmacist-physician relationship: Bevan J Clayton-Smith
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Appropriate prescribing for tomorrow's doctors: Charis A Marwick, et al.
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