title: Appropriate prescribing of medications: an eight-step approach.
abstract: A systematic approach advocated by the World Health Organization can help minimize poor-quality and erroneous prescribing. This six-step approach to prescribing suggests that the physician should (1) evaluate and dearly define the patient's problem; (2) specify the therapeutic objective; (3) select the appropriate drug therapy; (4) initiate therapy with appropriate details and consider nonpharmacologic therapies; (5) give information, instructions, and warnings; and (6) evaluate therapy regularly (e.g., monitor treatment results, consider discontinuation of the drug). The authors add two additional steps: (7) consider drug cost when prescribing; and (8) use computers and other tools to reduce prescribing errors. These eight steps, along with ongoing self-directed learning, compose a systematic approach to prescribing that is efficient and practical for the family physician. Using prescribing software and having access to electronic drug references on a desktop or handheld computer can also improve the legibility and accuracy of prescriptions and help physicians avoid errors.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Family Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City 66160, USA. madelyn.pollock@gmail.com
authors.forename: Madelyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pollock
authors.forename: Oralia V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Bazaldua
authors.forename: Alison E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Dobbie
mesh_terms: D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'