In this section : Admission
: Safe and Effective Use of Medicines
Prescribing for CAU Patients Still in ED
Prescribing Advice on Admission – Clozapine
Prescribing Advice on Admission – Methadone/Buprenorphine
Prescribing Advice on Admission – Corticosteroids
Prescribing Advice on Admission – Items Not Prescribed by GP
Prescribing Advice on Admission – Patients on Chemotherapy Regimes
Prescribing Advice on Admission – Medication for Parkinson’s Disease
Prescribing Advice on Admission – Insulin
Prescribing Advice on Admission
Gentamicin & Vancomycin
Greener Inhaler Prescribing
Safe and Secure Handling of Medicines
Blood Glucose & Steroids
Prescribing Advice on Admission
Last updated 17th November 2022
Safe and Effective Prescribing and Use of Medicines for Patient Safety
General Advice
- Always speak to the patient / carer about their medication, it can save a lot of time and effort later and prevent many errors.
- If you are unsure what a medication is, and the patient /carer cannot clarify it for you, please do NOT ignore it, it could be a vital medicine such as an anti-epileptic. You can:
- Look it up in the BNF
- Use a search engine to find it
- Ask a colleague for help
- Try prescribing on HEPMA with a % in front of the name (eg %Epilim)
- Prescribe it as “drug not on system”
- If you really do not have time or cannot clarify, document that you have not dealt with it and raise with the pharmacy team as soon as possible.
- Don’t forget to sense-check your prescription, bearing in mind
- Acute cause for admission
- Patient weight (paracetamol, LMWH often need dose-adjusted for weight)
- Blood results
- Add stop dates where appropriate – they can always be adjusted later. This reduces the risk of antibiotic courses or replacement electrolytes continuing throughout patient stay and causing patient harm.
- Double check your accuracy when you have finished, especially if you were interrupted in any way whilst prescribing.
- Ensure you have not missed any medicines you intended to prescribe
- Ensure you have documented your reasons for suspending medication
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Approved by Medicines Safety Group/Formulary Group/Area Drugs and Therapeutic Committee, NHS Dumfries and Galloway