TEACHING GOOD PRACTICES FOR WRITING DRUG PRESCRIPTIONS IN UNDERGRADUATE MEDICINE:

A METHODOLOGICAL PROPOSAL

Abstract

PROBLEM: Prescription is the stage with the highest prevalence of avoidable failures in the medication process, which raises the need for teaching good practices in writing medication prescriptions. METHOD: Descriptive study of the construction and application of a teaching-learning method of good practices in writing medication prescriptions for undergraduate medical students. The method, entitled “Teaching Good Practices in Writing Medication Prescriptions”, consists of 8 steps. It was developed by professors at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. It is premised on the assumptions of meaningful learning, peer-based learning and the QualiPresc instrument, a validated instrument to assess the quality of medication prescription writing in primary care. RESULTS: After development, it was applied as a pilot. Preliminary perceptions about its implementation point to a teaching-learning method with potential for its implementation and dissemination in medical courses in Brazil, to improve the quality and safety of the medication process. CONCLUSIONS: Due to its “pilot” character, more studies need to be carried out in order to assess the effectiveness of the method in detriment of other teaching and learning strategies used for the same purpose.