Pharmacology

Question 1

Who is most at risk for prescription erros?

Answer 1

Undergoing surgery - particularly cardiothoracic, vascular or neuro
Complex conditions
In A&E
Looked after by inexperienced doctors
Older patients

Question 2

Where do most medication errors occur?

Answer 2

Prescribing

Administering

Question 3

What are the common prescribing errors?

Answer 3

Wrong drug/dose
Inappropriate units
Poor/illegible prescriptions
Durg interactions not taken into account
Calculation errors
Once weekly
Multiple dose changes

Question 4

What are the 5 Rs to prevent prescription errors?

Answer 4

Right patient
Right drug
Right dose
Right route
Right time

Question 5

What are the bodies that review medicines?

Answer 5

MHRA - Medicines and healthcare regulatory agency
EMA - european medicines agency
SMC - scottish medicines consortium
>No English equivilient

Question 6

Can a doctor prescribe an unliscened medication?

Answer 6

Yes, however only if it is needed (for medical reasons) to meet the specific needs of a patient

Question 7

What are the types of classifications for medications?

Answer 7

Prescribtion only - POM
Pharmacist only - P
General sale list - GSL

Question 8

Who can prescribe POMs?

Answer 8

Doctor
Dentist
Supplementary prescriber
Nurse/pharmacist independant prescriber

Limited prescription:
Community practitioner
Opotometrist
EEA/swiss doctors/dentists

Question 9

What are the requirments for a controlled drug prescription?

Answer 9

Specify formulation + strength
Specify dose
Total amounts in words + figures
Limited to 30 days

Question 10

How many divisions of controlled drugs are there? What are they called?

Answer 10

5 divisions, called schedules

Question 11

What is needed on a prescription?

Answer 11

Permenant black ink
>In legible block letters
24 Hour clock used
Sign + print name
Generic names unless clinically significant
Branded insulins