INTRODUCTION Prescribing intravenous (IV) fluid therapy is a core skill expected of qualified doctors at the point of graduation, but medical graduates often feel ill-equipped to perform this task. This lack of preparedness contributes to treatment-related patient harm. This scoping review maps the current state of published evidence about how junior doctors prescribe IV fluid therapy and learn...

BACKGROUND Appropriate antibiotic prescribing is an essential strategy to reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance. US prescribing practices have not been thoroughly characterized. We analyzed outpatient antibiotic prescribing data to identify where appropriate antibiotic prescribing interventions could have the most impact. METHODS Oral antibiotic prescriptions dispensed during 2011 were e...

Background. Appropriate antibiotic prescribing is an essential strategy to reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance. US prescribing practices have not been thoroughly characterized. We analyzed outpatient antibiotic prescribing data to identify where appropriate antibiotic prescribing interventions could have the most impact. Methods. Oral antibiotic prescriptions dispensed during 2011 were e...

BACKGROUND There is considerable variation in prescribing, and existing standards against which primary care prescribing is routinely judged consist largely of local or national averages. There is thus a need for more sophisticated standards, which must be widely applicable and have credibility among the general practice profession. AIM A study aimed to develop a range of criteria of prescrib...

OBJECTIVE To identify general practitioner (GP) views and understanding on the use of delayed prescribing in primary care. DESIGN Qualitative semistructured telephone interview study. SETTING Primary care general practices in England. PARTICIPANTS 32 GPs from identified high-prescribing and low-prescribing general practices in England. METHOD Semistructured telephone interviews were con...

BACKGROUND Poor medication prescribing skills among residents have been widely reported. METHODS We implemented a three-stage prescribing curriculum with eight interns in an urban family medicine residency. Clinical pharmacy faculty delivered two lectures, attended hospital rounds, and coprecepted in clinic. Evaluations were done by a written exam and clinical assessment. RESULTS All eight ...

With access to reproductive health care eroding, examination of prescribing of contraception, including emergency contraception (EC), is important. We examined whether working in a family practice affiliated with a religious institution changes the likelihood of a provider prescribing EC. Our survey asked about EC prescribing practices in a range of situations. As predicted, practitioners in no...

BACKGROUND There has been a rapid increase in proton pump inhibitor (PPI) prescribing in recent years, and controlling the cost and improving the quality of prescribing is an issue of concern to many GPS: OBJECTIVE Our aim was to compare GPs' usage of different PPIs and explore how GPs' PPI prescribing changes following the introduction of a cheaper competitor. METHODS PPI prescribing data ...

OBJECTIVE To develop a practitioner led definition of a prescribing error for use in quantitative studies of their incidence. DESIGN Two stage Delphi technique. SUBJECTS A panel of 34 UK judges, which included physicians, surgeons, pharmacists, nurses and risk managers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The extent to which judges agreed with a general definition of a prescribing error, and the extent...

BACKGROUND Licensing arrangements for nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in the UK were broadened in 2005 to allow prescribing to pregnant smokers. However, estimates of NRT prescribing in pregnant females in the UK are currently lacking. AIM To assess trends in NRT prescribing around pregnancy, and variation in prescribing by maternal characteristics. DESIGN AND SETTING Population-based de...