Evaluating the UK's first national prescribing assessment for GPs in training using an online survey.

Background: GP trainees may not have experienced a systematic and comprehensive education in safe prescribing. Therefore, a self-assessment prescribing review was developed.

Aim: To determine whether the assessment was feasible, had face validity, and did not disadvantage particular groups of participants.

The frequency and nature of prescribing problems by GPs-in-training (REVISiT): a retrospective review.

Background: Prescribing errors can cause significant morbidity and occur in about 5% of prescriptions in English general practices.

Aim: To describe the frequency and nature of prescribing problems in a cohort of GPs-in-training to determine whether they need additional prescribing support.

Design & Setting: A primary care pharmacist undertook a retrospective review of prescriptions issued between 9 October 2014 and 11 March 2015 by 10 GPs in their final year of training from 10 practices in England.

The evaluation of an e-learning prescribing course for general practice.

Prescribed medication may lead to significant morbidity or mortality as a result of these medications causing adverse events, or because of a prescribing error. E-learning is a common tool used in supporting training in prescribing. This paper describes the development of an e-learning course and the subsequent evaluation undertaken by the users with the aim of obtaining an effective e-learning course for prescribing.

A qualitative evaluation of a prescribing e-learning package for general practice.

Background: The GMC PRACtiCe study identified a 1 in 20 error rate in prescriptions issued in general practice and identified a need for further training in prescribing. As a result, an e-Learning prescribing package was designed and launched to healthcare professionals through the Royal College of General Practitioners in January 2014.

Aim: This part of the study explored the longer-term impact on prescribing knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of practitioners completing the eLearning prescribing package.

Identification of an updated set of prescribing--safety indicators for GPs.

Background: Medication error is an important contributor to patient morbidity and mortality and is associated with inadequate patient safety measures. However, prescribing-safety tools specifically designed for use in general practice are lacking.

Aim: To identify and update a set of prescribing-safety indicators for assessing the safety of prescribing in general practice, and to estimate the risk of harm to patients associated with each indicator.