OBJECTIVE: To audit the acquisition of prescribing skills of pre-clerkship medical students in a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum that incorporates a prescribing program. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Student performance in pharmacotherapy stations included in six out of eight end-of-unit-objective structured practical examinations (OSPE) was evaluated using a rating checklist. RESULTS: Prescription writing skills of 539 students (66.2% female and 33.8% male) were appraised. With the exception of refill element, the other physician-related components including prescriber's identity, date of prescription order, patient's identity, the symbol Rx "Take Thou", and prescriber's signature were written by 96.1% of the students (95% confidence interval (CI) 94.1 - 97.5). However, the drug-related components such as the appropriateness of drug(s) selected, strength, dosage form, quantity to be dispensed and directions for use were written satisfactorily by 50.2% of the students (95% CI 46.0 - 54.4). With respect to prescribing skills, the mean total score of Year 4 students did not significantly differ from that of Year 2 (69.4 (CI 65.7 - 73.1) vs. 66.3 (CI 62.7 to 69.9); p = 0.237). However, the mean scores of individual drug-related components such as appropriateness of drug(s) selected, dosage form, and direction for use were significantly higher in Year 4 than that of Year 2 students (p < 0.05). Of 381 rationally prescribed drugs, 81.1% were written with generic names. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the students acquire prescribing skills to a limited extent during the pre-clerkship phase in a PBL program. Prescribing errors and deficits were found to be mainly associated with drug-related components. Further training and assessment of prescribing skills during the clerkship and internship period are needed to achieve mastery of this skill as a terminal competency of graduating physicians.
OBJECTIVE: To audit the acquisition of prescribing skills of pre-clerkship medical students in a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum that incorporates a prescribing program. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Student performance in pharmacotherapy stations included in six out of eight end-of-unit-objective structured practical examinations (OSPE) was evaluated using a rating checklist. RESULTS: Prescription writing skills of 539 students (66.2% female and 33.8% male) were appraised. With the exception of refill element, the other physician-related components including prescriber's identity, date of prescription order, patient's identity, the symbol Rx "Take Thou", and prescriber's signature were written by 96.1% of the students (95% confidence interval (CI) 94.1 - 97.5). However, the drug-related components such as the appropriateness of drug(s) selected, strength, dosage form, quantity to be dispensed and directions for use were written satisfactorily by 50.2% of the students (95% CI 46.0 - 54.4). With respect to prescribing skills, the mean total score of Year 4 students did not significantly differ from that of Year 2 (69.4 (CI 65.7 - 73.1) vs. 66.3 (CI 62.7 to 69.9); p = 0.237). However, the mean scores of individual drug-related components such as appropriateness of drug(s) selected, dosage form, and direction for use were significantly higher in Year 4 than that of Year 2 students (p < 0.05). Of 381 rationally prescribed drugs, 81.1% were written with generic names. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the students acquire prescribing skills to a limited extent during the pre-clerkship phase in a PBL program. Prescribing errors and deficits were found to be mainly associated with drug-related components. Further training and assessment of prescribing skills during the clerkship and internship period are needed to achieve mastery of this skill as a terminal competency of graduating physicians.
Authors: N Celebi; K Kirchhoff; M Lammerding-Köppel; R Riessen; Peter Weyrich Journal: Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol Date: 2010-06-10 Impact factor: 3.000
Authors: Yasin I Tayem; Abdulaziz S Altabtabaei; Mohamed W Mohamed; Mansour M Arrfedi; Hasan S Aljawder; Fahad A Aldebous; Henry James; Khalid A J Al Khaja; Reginald P Sequeira Journal: Indian J Pharmacol Date: 2016 Jan-Feb Impact factor: 1.200
Authors: David J Brinkman; Teresa Monteiro; Emilia C Monteiro; Milan C Richir; Michiel A van Agtmael; Jelle Tichelaar Journal: Eur J Clin Pharmacol Date: 2020-10-23 Impact factor: 2.953