Prescribing test for new doctors developed in Edinburgh

New doctors are being put to a test developed at the University of Edinburgh for assessment of their prescribing skills to improve patient welfare.

The test aims to ensure that new doctors leave medical school with basic competency in the safe and effective use of medicines, said the University of Edinburgh on Monday in a press release.

The initiative was launched in response to research that revealed up to one in 10 National Health Service (NHS) prescriptions written by newly graduated doctors contain errors. It has been led jointly by the British Pharmacological Society and the U.K. Medical Schools Council.

More than 7,000 medical students from all of the British medical schools sat the online test last year. From 2015, medical students from nine schools, including the University of Edinburgh, will be required to pass the test in order to graduate, said the press release.

The test could also help to ensure that doctors who have trained overseas meet a minimum prescribing standard before they begin working in the NHS.

"Writing accurate prescriptions is a fundamental part of being a doctor, with far-reaching consequences for patient outcomes. All doctors, whether trained in the U.K. or overseas, should be able to demonstrate a basic prescribing standard before they can work in the NHS," said Professor Simon Maxwell of the University of Edinburgh.

The online test is also being adopted by medical schools in other countries. Details of the test are outlined in the latest issue of The Lancet journal published on Feb. 14. Endit