ASSESSMENT OF HANDS-ON TRAINING ON INTERNS’ PRESCRIPTION WRITING SKILLS AT A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL

Objectives: This study was conducted with an objective to assess the prevalence of prescription errors and to compare the prescription writing skills of the interns’ pre and post-teaching interventions on the appropriateness “prescription writing.” Methods: This research was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital Karwar Institute of Medical Sciences, Karwar. All interns posted to the orthopedics department as a part of rotatory internship postings during the 6 months from June 2021 were included in this research after receiving informed permission in writing. We gathered the written prescriptions for three distinct cases and a seminar and hands-on training about “prescription writing” was given. Subsequently, the interns were requested to re-write new prescriptions for the same three situations. Results: A total of 390 prescriptions from 65 interns were gathered and analyzed. In 58%, 36%, 62%, and 78% of the prescriptions, date, diagnosis, prescriber’s name and qualification were absent. In 44% and 12% of the prescriptions, the patient’s age and name were not written, respectively. Following the hands-on teaching intervention, a noteworthy enhancement in the overall prescription writing was noted. Conclusion: Interns often write prescriptions incorrectly because they do not retain the pharmacotherapeutic information that was given in the 2nd year of the undergraduate program. A teaching program of basic prescription writing is necessary to refresh their knowledge and prescription writing skills.