Prescribing: what's all the fuss?

BACKGROUND

Prescribing is a commonly used skill which has until recently been poorly taught in medical school curricula. This is despite the fact that there are a number of proven approaches to teaching better prescribing.

OBJECTIVE

The WHO Guide to Good Prescribing is discussed, with an example elaborating the steps involved in the process.

DISCUSSION

Central to this approach is the development of a rational and evidence based list of P- or personal drugs which the prescriber develops familiarity with and uses regularly for specific indications.