Undergraduate medical education has been criticised for failing to adequately prepare\ndoctors for the task of prescribing. Pharmacists have been shown to improve medication use in\nhospitals. This study aims to elicit the views of intern doctors on the challenges of prescribing, and to\nsuggest changes in education to enhance prescribing practice and potential role of the pharmacist.\nSemi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted with intern doctors in their first year post\nqualification in an Irish hospital. Data collection was conducted until no new themes emerged\nand thematic analysis was performed. Thirteen interviews took place. Interns described training\nin practical prescribing as limited and felt the curriculum failed to convey the reality of actual\nprescribing. Pharmacists were perceived to be a useful, but underutilised, information source in the\nprescribing process. They requested an earlier introduction, and repeated exposure, to prescribing,\nand suggested the involvement of peers and pharmacists in this teaching. Intern doctors reported\ndifficulties in applying knowledge gained in medical school to clinical practice. New strategies\nare needed to enhance the clinical relevance of the medical curriculum by rethinking the learning\noutcomes regarding prescribing practice and the involvement of pharmacists in prescribing education.
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