OBJECTIVE To compare the appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in two countries with different prevalence of antimicrobial resistance: Denmark and Iceland. DESIGN A cross-sectional study. SETTINGS AND SUBJECTS General practitioners (GPs) in Denmark (n = 78) and Iceland (n = 21) registered all patients with URTI according to the Audit Projec...

BACKGROUND Serious safety concerns related to the use of antipsychotics have not decreased the prescribing of these agents to nursing home (NH) residents. We assessed the extent to which resident clinical characteristics and institutional prescribing practice were associated with antipsychotic prescribing. METHODS Antipsychotic prescribing was assessed for a nationwide, cross-sectional popula...

OBJECTIVE This paper explored pharmacy staff perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) design in retail pharmacies using the sociotechnical systems framework. This study examined how adoption of e-prescribing technology is affecting clinical practice and patient care. MATERIALS AND METHODS Direct observations and think aloud protocols were used to c...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effect of tailored interventions on the appropriateness of decisions to prescribe or withhold antibiotics, antibiotic use and guideline-adherent antibiotic selection in nursing homes (NHs). METHODS We conducted a quasi-experimental study in 10 NHs in the Netherlands. A participatory action research (PAR) approach was applied, with local stakeholders in charge of sel...

INTRODUCTION Electronic prescribing systems have often been promoted as a tool for reducing medication errors and adverse drug events. Recent evidence has revealed that adoption of electronic prescribing systems can lead to unintended consequences such as the introduction of new errors. The purpose of this study is to identify and characterize the unrealized potential and residual consequences ...

OBJECTIVE To explore the potential for community pharmacist prescribing in terms of usefulness, pharmacists' confidence, and appropriateness, in the context of asthma management. METHODS Twenty community pharmacists were recruited using convenience sampling from a group of trained practitioners who had already delivered asthma services. These pharmacists were asked to complete a scenario-base...

BACKGROUND In May 2010, a new Canadian guideline on prescribing opioids for chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) was released. To assess changes in family physicians' (FPs) prescribing of opioids following the release of the guideline, it is necessary to know their practices before the guideline was widely disseminated. OBJECTIVES To determine FPs' practices and knowledge in prescribing opioids for ...

INTRODUCTION Prevention of medication errors is a priority for health services worldwide. Pharmacists routinely screen prescriptions for potential problems, including prescribing errors. This study describes prescribing problems reported by community pharmacists and discusses them from an error prevention perspective. METHOD For one month, nine community pharmacists documented prescribing pro...

BACKGROUND There is considerable variation within and between countries in general medical practitioners' (GPs') prescribing of broad-spectrum antibiotics such as fluroquinolones, and resistance to these agents is increasing worldwide. Urgently promoting cautious fluroquinolone prescribing in primary care may limit increase in resistance. OBJECTIVE We therefore interviewed 40 GPs in order to ...

INTRODUCTION To ensure safe, effective and rational prescribing by tomorrow's doctors it is important to assess the prescribing skills of today's medical students. The aim of this study was to assess the prescribing skills of MBBS preclinical students of a Teaching Hospital. METHODS First and second year medical students were given different sets of common clinical scenarios and asked to writ...