Tens of millions of prescriptions are given out to UK patients every year. So, it’s hardly surprising that on occasion mistakes can be made.

Although the majority of errors are harmless to the patient, they can cause significant anxiety. We’ve therefore put together a list of the top 5 common prescribing pitfalls and how to avoid them.

1. Prescribing a drug toa patient with a known allergy

Patients aren’t always reliable when it comes to disclosing their drug allergies, so you’ll need to check their records thoroughly just in case. Note which drugs have been prescribed in the past and if the patient had any side effects. Penicillin is the most common one here.

Always make sure you’ve asked your patient directly about any allergies in case you need to justify your prescribing decision later.

2. Prescribing the wrong drug

In days gone by, this could simply have been down to a pharmacist not being able to decipher a practitioner’s handwriting. But with everything being electronic, these days it is usually because a prescriber has selected the wrong drug from the drop-down menu on the computer system. Examples include choosing penicillamine instead of penicillin, or choosing the wrong route of administration, for example eye drops instead of ear drops.

3. Prescribing the wrong dose

Again, this can be down to the practitioner simply selecting the wrong dose from the drop-down menu. Children and the elderly may be at particular risk here, as they tend to need smaller doses based on a lower body weight.

As well as the dosage itself, another common error is in the frequency, for example, instructing a patient to take the medication 3 times a day instead of 2. Again, thorough checking of the patient’s record should eliminate this risk.

4. Failing to consider drug interactions, side effects and contraindications

Many patients, particularly the elderly, may be on multiple medications and treatments at once. Close attention therefore needs to be paid in checking what drugs they’re currently on, and whether any new ones may interact with them. Side effects can develop, or the situation changes meaning that drug is no longer appropriate. An example would be where a patient has been on a long term anti-epileptic therapy but is nowpregnant.

5. Not monitoring the patient effectively enough

Some drugs require monitoring. This is due to the fact that they have a narrow therapeutic range, such as phenytoin. Others, more commonly, require investigations to inform dosage as with warfarinand thyroxine. Some drugs require monitoring to look for side effects, for example checking renal function in patients taking ACE inhibitors.

Again, the elderlyand those who take several different medications are most at risk.

Have you completed a V300 update course recently

Once you have completed a V300 course, it’s compulsory to take a V300 update course every year afterwards in order to stay qualified. As part of this course, you will learn about various aspects of prescribing, including what to look out for.

PDUK offers a complete V300 update course online via Zoom, worth 8 hours of CPD. It’s a one-day course that allows for group interaction and meets all the requirements you need to stay qualified. All course material, evaluations and a certificate will also be provided.

Hurry and book today as spaces are limited!