Learning to prescribe is an essential part of medical training. Due to various high profile serious prescribing errors, the GMC have introduced stricter prescribing standards which medical students must meet in order to graduate. This book helps medical students learn the essentials of safe prescribing practice, and is aimed directly at their needs. It covers all the aspects of prescribing required by the GMC, including principles of prescribing, law and ethics, professional responsibilities, patient communication, at-risk groups, avoiding common errors and what to do when things go wrong.

Key features:

•  Directly linked to the prescribing competencies in the GMC′s Tomorrow′s Doctors and Good Practice in Prescribing Medicines
• Real-life prescribing case studies and scenarios relate the principles to actual practice and placement situations
• Activities throughout each chapter for testing prescribing knowledge and skills
• Test questions for the new Prescribing Skills Assessment to help students prepare and be confident that they can pass.

Helen Bradbury BSc., (Pharm)., MEd., FRPharmS., FHEA,. Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Leeds. Helen worked in the NHS as a hospital pharmacist for 20 years before commencing her academic career. Helen’s subject specialities are clinical education, with an interest in pharmacy education, personal and professional development and interprofessional education. In her last role as professional lead for pharmacy she advised on the delivery of the independent prescribing programmes for nurses, midwives, pharmacists and allied healthcare professionals. She has published on reflective practice, interprofessional education and prescribing for medical students. Barry Strickland-Hodge MSc, PhD, FRPharmS, FHEA, Visiting Professor of Prescribing Practice at the University of Leeds and a doctoral supervisor for students at the university of Derby. He was a prescribing adviser to GP practices in Newham and Belfast for 15 years. He developed the prescribing course for pharmacists at the University of Leeds in 2003, with the first intake in 2004. Barry has an interest in the history of medicine and pharmacy and became an apothecary in 1990. He has written a number of books and papers on prescribing and information systems.