Pharmacist’s undergraduate medical tutorials
Purpose: One aspect of medication safety is the expectation that doctors will be competent to write prescriptions on graduation. However prescribing errors continue to cause concern, and prescribing inaccuracies may put patients at risk. The pharmacist, with training and skills devoted to this field is the most appropriate person to provide this training, and this, for both the doctor and the pharmacist enhances the experience working in a multi-disciplinary team.
The purpose is to increase medical students’ exposure to clinical pharmacology, applied therapeutics and prescribing using the pharmacist as the tutor.
Methods: Discussions were held at the Monash University’s Gippsland Regional Clinical School (GRCS) to determine the opportunities to increase relevant ‘pharmacy’ education for medical students, so that the pharmacist could provide tutorials for medical students at appropriate times during their study. The GRCS provides training to about 40 medical students, most of whom are attached to the School for either a semester or a full academic year. Using case studies and hospital medication charts, students can have ‘real’ practice, as it is illegal for students to write medication charts or discharge prescriptions prior to qualification as a doctor.
Results: A pharmacist provides tutorials for clinical (ie third, fourth and fifth) year medical students who study at the GRCS. Feedback is very positive, indicating not only an increase in knowledge of pharmacology, therapeutics and prescribing; but there is also appreciation of skills and expertise of another health professional field, understanding issues from a different perspective, opening lines of communication, and demonstration of the team approach.
Conclusion: Medical students now have a greater understanding of ‘pharmacy’ related issues, and it is anticipated there will subsequently be a reduction in prescribing errors.