Table 1 Thematic analysis results and supporting statements from junior doctors
From: Safe prescribing training provision for junior doctors: is this optimal?
Theme | Quotes from junior doctor |
|---|---|
Importance of medical education as a continuum. | “I feel prescribing training should be provided both in medical school and foundation training. During foundation training it should be regular and not just consigned to induction - some of us don’t work on the ward for our first job.” |
“I think the initial prescribing teaching was good in the induction week however I feel this would be more useful again later on once we were on the wards and prescribing.” | |
Awareness of importance of safe use of high-risk drugs | “At the end of F1 may be useful to do a session on prescribing in emergencies, small group work so we can relate it to clinical experience.” |
“…I use it to check doses and antibiotic guidelines. The pain section is especially useful.” | |
“The new NICE IV fluids guidelines have not been disseminated to us as juniors and I continue to prescribe IV fluids in a relatively arbitrary fashion…. I would also like teaching on analgesia and A&E and on assessing drug charts with polypharmacy” | |
Working relationship between pharmacists/ pharmacy staff and foundation doctors | “I would love to have practical, relevant teaching on this from a pharmacist - not an anaesthetist, who would view it from a very academic perspective, but from someone with a more practical medicine focus.” |
“In certain posts at Trust X ward rounds are conducted with a pharmacist, which is very useful for specialist prescribing in renal/oncology etc. where we are less familiar. We also have an excellent intranet source of guidance for local deviations from the norm and excellent pharmacists.” | |
Neglect of F2 doctors in safe prescribing training | “We did not have any formal pharmacy or prescribing induction. This would have been very useful. I think it is presumed that FY2s know this already. This is not always the case.” |
“Ward pharmacists are excellent and should have more dedicated teaching slots for F1s but also F2s as this has been entirely neglected since I became an FY2…” |