MedEdPORTAL (Dec 2014)
How to Write Prescriptions
Abstract
Abstract Introduction The University of Texas Medical School at Houston offers a month of residency preparation courses for fourth-year medical students. Courses are offered in a variety of disciplines to introduce basic skills that a rising intern would deem useful. In the Department of General Pediatrics, the staff physicians work with students in outpatient clinics. In some cases, when the electronic medical record is offline, or one is not available, the opportunity to write prescriptions is available. We noticed that most students have limited training in how to write a basic prescription. This workshop was therefore created to educate fourth-year students on the basics of prescription writing. Methods This 120-minute team-based learning (TBL) session begins with dividing students into groups of four to five to complete the individual and group readiness assurance tests. We then combined the group application exercise with simultaneous reporting via the use of overhead projectors and transparencies. At the completion of each of the five timed cases, each group presents their prescription on a transparency. In this setting, students work together as a group, are accountable for the outcome, and they learn through immediate feedback and discussion. Results This workshop has been held for three consecutive years at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Participants were all fourth-year medical students in the last quarter of their academic year. At the end of the TBL course, a mandatory evaluation was distributed to the participants with questions in the format of a 5-point Likert scale. All participants (100%) either strongly agreed or agreed that the session stimulated interest in learning and in response to the statement “The session offered useful information and strategies”, 60% strongly agreed and 40% agreed. When asked about areas for improvement, they reported making it available to more students and offering it earlier in their medical school career would be helpful. Discussion This TBL session effectively presents useful information, including resources available to assist with prescription writing, and teaches learners how to write basic prescriptions.
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