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Prescription audit adjunct to rational pharmacotherapy education improves prescribing skills of medical students

  • Pharmacoepidemiology and Prescription
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To assess the impact of a rational pharmacotherapy (RP) teaching program during clinical pharmacology clerkship by analyzing the results of prescription audits (PAs) of the medical students. Collectively, we intended to observe the possible improvement of the students in their prescribing, problem solving and self-directed learning skills.

Design

At the beginning and end of the clerkship, the students were presented with cases of uncomplicated osteoarthritis to assess their prescribing skills; format and rationality were scored.

Setting

A medical school in Turkey that teaches RP to the fourth-year students in clinical pharmacology clerkship.

Participants

There were 94 students of the 2002–2003 academic year in three groups and a single group of students belonging to the previous academic year tested. Of those students from the previous academic year, 26 were also analyzed a year later to demonstrate the long-term impact of the training.

Main outcome measures

Prescribing skills of medical students and their opinions about PA.

Results

Direct assessment via PA demonstrated that the scores for post-clerkship prescriptions were far better than those for pre-clerkship prescriptions in terms of format and rationality. Long-term assessment showed that the scores declined within a year following clerkship, but they were still higher than those of their pre-clerkship scripts. Analysis of the questionnaires revealed that the students were satisfied with PA. The majority of the students stated they had learned the general principles of RP and gained better prescribing skills, and they intended to apply most of the principles learned to their future professional lives. The script format scores of a retrospectively created PA-exempted group were significantly lower than those of the students to whom an established PA education was given.

Conclusion

PA sessions were shown to be an easy and a useful method of both evaluating and reinforcing prescribing skills gained though problem-based RP education.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Drs Kemal Berkman, Filiz Onat, Atila Karaalp and Hasan R Yananlı for their active participation in the teaching/facilitating activities. The results were presented at the 20th International Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology and Therapeutic Risk Management (22–25 August, 2004, Bordeaux, France).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ahmet Akici, M. Zafer Gören, Cenk Aypak, Berna Terzioğlu & Şule Oktay

  2. Omega CRO, Tophanelioğlu Cad, Petek Sitesi, A5 Blok, D.9, Altunizade, 34718, Istanbul, Turkey

    Şule Oktay

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  1. Ahmet Akici
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  2. M. Zafer Gören
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  3. Cenk Aypak
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  4. Berna Terzioğlu
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  5. Şule Oktay
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Şule Oktay.

Addendum 1

Addendum 1

Osteoarthritis case scenario

Mrs Birgul Giray is a 55-year-old housewife who graduated from primary school. She is 78 kg and 160 cm high. She is complaining of pain, crepitation and stiffness in her right knee that has been ongoing for 3 months. Her knee pain increases, especially in the afternoons when she wants to walk. X-ray demonstrated minimal changes in the knee joint and bones, corresponding to the signs of osteoarthritis. She has no other physical and laboratory abnormalities.

Diagnosis: Osteoarthritis

Please arrange her treatment by writing a prescription

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Akici, A., Gören, M.Z., Aypak, C. et al. Prescription audit adjunct to rational pharmacotherapy education improves prescribing skills of medical students. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 61, 643–650 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-005-0960-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00228-005-0960-3

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