Problem-based training for medical students reduces common prescription errors: a randomised controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
Avoidable drug-related problems (DRPs) cause substantial morbidity, mortality and costs. As most prescription errors are committed by recently graduated doctors, undergraduate training should specifically address DRPs.


OBJECTIVE
This study set out to investigate whether a DRP teaching module can reduce prescription errors made by advanced medical students in varying clinical contexts.


METHODS
A total of 74 Year 5 medical students (mean age 25 +/- 3 years; 24 men, 50 women) participated in a randomised controlled crossover study. Students filled in patients' prescription charts before and after a special DRP training module and a control intervention. The 1-week training module comprised a seminar on common prescription errors, a prescribing exercise with a standardised paper case patient, drafting of inoperative prescription charts for real patients and discussions with a lecturer. During the observation points, prescription charts for standardised patient cases in different clinical contexts had to be completed. These prescription charts were subsequently analysed by two independent raters using a checklist for common prescription errors.


RESULTS
Prior to training, students committed a mean of 69 +/- 12% of the potential prescription errors. This decreased to 29 +/- 15% after DRP training (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Prescription errors can be significantly reduced in a relatively brief training time by implementing a specific DRP teaching module.
Celebi
Nora
N
Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Angiology, Nephrology and Clinical Chemistry, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Weyrich
Peter
P
Riessen
Reimer
R
Kirchhoff
Kerstin
K
Lammerding-Köppel
Maria
M
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult