A prescription for better prescribing

I have to agree with the authors that newly qualified doctors do not
leave university with sufficient skills in effective prescribing and
practical drug therapy. My chats with a first year foundation doctor qualifying with honours leave me somewhat concerned about
preparedness to deliver rational prescribing.

Of course poor prescribing is not just confined to newly qualified
doctors and there is a need for considerable input into both undergraduate
and postgraduate prescribing training. There is an underused resource
already available to help provide this. Each current PCT has at least one
Prescribing Adviser whose role is to provide advice on rational, cost-
effective prescribing. They are well trained and many have considerable
experience. Each hospital trust is likely to have similar pharmacists
available, often with experience as educators. These could be involved in
both undergraduate teaching and support for CPD training and updating on
drug therapy.

And then there is the National Prescribing Centre with its team of
Training Advisers across the country. These advisers are trained educators
and regularly run workshops on effective prescribing and therapeutics. How
about involving them in supporting newly qualified doctors and the
provision of CPD on for all prescribers, medical and non-medical? There is
too much reliance on the pharmaceutical industry in the provision of CPD
on drugs and prescribing. It would make more sense for the NHS to provide
this.

Competing interests:
I provide prescribing advice and I am an NPC Training Adviser.