ASSESSMENT OF HANDS-ON TRAINING ON INTERNS’ PRESCRIPTION WRITING SKILLS AT A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2024v17i7.51029Keywords:
Teaching program, Prescription writing, Interns, Prescribing errorsAbstract
Objectives: This study was conducted with an objective to assess the prevalence of prescription errors and to compare the prescription writing skills of the interns’ pre and post-teaching interventions on the appropriateness “prescription writing.”
Methods: This research was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital Karwar Institute of Medical Sciences, Karwar. All interns posted to the orthopedics department as a part of rotatory internship postings during the 6 months from June 2021 were included in this research after receiving informed permission in writing. We gathered the written prescriptions for three distinct cases and a seminar and hands-on training about “prescription writing” was given. Subsequently, the interns were requested to re-write new prescriptions for the same three situations.
Results: A total of 390 prescriptions from 65 interns were gathered and analyzed. In 58%, 36%, 62%, and 78% of the prescriptions, date, diagnosis, prescriber’s name and qualification were absent. In 44% and 12% of the prescriptions, the patient’s age and name were not written, respectively. Following the hands-on teaching intervention, a noteworthy enhancement in the overall prescription writing was noted.
Conclusion: Interns often write prescriptions incorrectly because they do not retain the pharmacotherapeutic information that was given in the 2nd year of the undergraduate program. A teaching program of basic prescription writing is necessary to refresh their knowledge and prescription writing skills.
Downloads
References
Lofholm PW, Katzung BG. Rational prescribing and prescription writing. In: Katzung BG, Trevor AJ, editors. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 15th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2021. p. 1714-29.
Alfonso GR. Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy. 20th ed., Vol. 2. New York: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 2002. p. 1687-90.
Ansari M, Neupane D. Study on determination of errors in prescriptionwriting: A semi-electronic perspective. Kathmandu Univ Med J. 2009;7(27):238-41. doi: 10.3126/kumj.v7i3.2730, PMID 20071869
WHO. Policy Perspectives on Medicines - Promoting Rational Use of MEDICINES: CORE Components; 2002. Available from: http:// iris.who.int/bbitstream/hhandle/10665/67438/who_edm_2002.3 [Last accessed on 2024 Mar 28].
Babar HS, Hussain S, Maqsood Z, Dad AH, Khan M, Rahman AA, et al. Adherence to prescription format and compliance with WHO core prescribing indicators. J Pharm Sci Res. 2014;6(4):195-9.
Oshikoya KA, Senbanjo IO, Amole OO. Interns’ knowledge of clinical pharmacology and therapeutics after undergraduate and ongoing internship training in Nigeria: A pilot study. BMC Med Educ. 2009;9:50. doi: 10.1186/1472-6920-9-50, PMID 19638199
Aronson JK. A prescription for better prescribing. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2006;61(5):487-91. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2006.02649.x, PMID 16669839
FDA. Working to Reduce Medication Errors. Available from: https:// www.fda.gov/drugs/information-consumers-and-patients-drugs/ working-reduce-medication-errors [Last accessed on 2024 Mar 24].
Velo GP, Minuzl P. Medication errors: Prescribing faults and prescription errors. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2009;67(6):624-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1365- 2125.2009.03425.x, PMID 19594530
Sandilands EA, Reid K, Shaw L, Bateman DN, Webb DJ, Dhaun N, et al. Impact of a focused teaching program on practical prescribing skills among final year medical students. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2010;71(1):29-33.
Patrício KP, Alves NA, Arenales NG, Queluz TT. Teaching the rational use of medicines to medical students: A qualitative research. BMC Med Educ. 2012;12:56. doi: 10.1186/1472-6920-12-56, PMID 22812522
Bhosale MS, Jadhav NB, Adhav CV. Analysis of completeness and legibility of prescription orders at a tertiary care hospital. Int J Med Public Health. 2013;3(3):180-3. doi: 10.4103/2230-8598.118975
Narwane SP, Kharde AL, Kharde RB, Anup LK, Sandeep PN, Rashmi Bhaskarrao K. Assessment of practice of prescription writing before and after teaching among interns in Rural Medical College, Loni. Indian J Pharm Pharmacol. 2020;7(1):1-3. doi: 10.18231/j. ijpp.2020.001
Raghu G, Arumugam B, Paul P. Evaluation of hands-on training on prescription writing skills among medical students in a tertiary care teaching hospital. Natl J Physiol Pharm Pharmacol. 2017;7(12):1371-6. doi: 10.5455/njppp.2017.7.0832904092017
Heaton A, Webb DJ, Maxwell SR. Undergraduate preparation for prescribing: The views of 2413 UK medical students and recent graduates. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2008;66(1):128-34. doi: 10.1111/j.1365- 2125.2008.03197.x, PMID 18492128
Mohammad IS, Muhammad H, Khan HM, Naveed A, Rasool F, Ijaz H. Significance of prescription elements and reasons of prescription errors in South Punjab, Pakistan. World Appl Sci J. 2015;33:668-72. doi: 10.5829/idosi.wasj.2015.33.04.131
Khan AK, Rashed MR, Muneersha TK, Rahimanet OM. Assessment of the prescribing knowledge, attitude and skills of medical students and interns in a large teaching hospital of southern India. Biomed Pharmacol J. 2013;6(1):63-9. doi: 10.13005/bpj/385
Dharmadikari SD, Jaju J, Pawar G, Funde S. Retrospective analysis of completeness and legibility of prescription orders at a tertiary care hospital. Natl J Physiol Pharm Pharmacol. 2014;4(2):165-7. doi: 10.5455/njppp.2014.4.011020131
Boehringer PA, Rylander J, Dizon DT, Peterson MW. Improving the quality of the order-writing process for inpatient orders in a teaching hospital. Qual Manag Health Care. 2007;16(3):215-8. doi: 10.1097/01. QMH.0000281057.92305.57, PMID 17627216
Gupta M, Tikoo D, Pal S. Assessment of prescription writing skills and impact of an educational intervention on safe prescribing among the first-year postgraduate medical students of tertiary care hospital. AMEI’s Curr Trends Diagn Treat. 2020;4(1):51-9. doi: 10.5005/jp-journals-10055-0087
Code of medical ethics regulations, 2002 | NMC (2002) www.nmc. org.in. Available at: https://www.nmc.org.in/rules-regulations/code-of-medical-ethics-regulations-2002 [Last accessed on 2024 Mar 23].
Anson JK. Medication errors: What they are, how they happen, and how to avoid them. Q J Med. 2009;102(8):513-21.
Chaudhari VL, Mali SN, Dawari AV, Nishandar TB. Awareness about rational use of medicines among fresh Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery graduates. J Educ Health Promot. 2017;6:94. doi: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_59_17, PMID 29114561
Desai MK, Panchal JR, Shah S, Iyer G. Evaluation of impact of teaching clinical pharmacology and rational therapeutics to medical undergraduates and interns. Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2016;6(3):205-10. doi: 10.4103/2229-516X.186967, PMID 27563589
Venkatesan M, Dongre AR, Ganapathy K. Evaluation of skill-based training program on rational drug treatment for medical interns. J Family Med Prim Care. 2017;6(4):832-5. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc. jfmpc_172_17, PMID 29564272
Ajemigbitse AA, Omole MK, Erhun WO. Effect of providing feedback and prescribing education on prescription writing: An intervention study. Ann Afr Med. 2016;15(1):1-6. doi: 10.4103/1596-3519.161722, PMID 26857930
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2024 Swetha K
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The publication is licensed under CC By and is open access. Copyright is with author and allowed to retain publishing rights without restrictions.
