Improving prescribing practices

Abstract

Background and purpose To assess impact of a pharmacist‐led educational intervention on family nurse practitioner (FNP) students’ prescribing skills, perception of preparedness to prescribe, and perception of pharmacist as collaborator. Method Prospective pre–post assessment of a 14‐week educational intervention in an FNP program in the spring semester of 2014. Students participated in an online module of weekly patient cases and prescriptions emphasizing legal requirements, prescription accuracy, and appropriate therapy. A pharmacist facilitator provided formative feedback on students’ submissions. Participants completed a matched assessment on prescription writing before and after the module, and a retrospective postsurvey then presurvey to collect perceptions. Conclusion There was significant improvement in performance on error identification and demonstration of prescription elements from preassessment to postassessment (+17%, p < .001). The mean performance on both assessments was less than the 70% passing score. Students reported significant positive changes in perceptions, including all statements regarding their preparedness to prescribe and those addressing willingness to collaborate with pharmacists. Implications for practice Formative education on prescribing enhanced students’ understanding of safe and effective medication use with improved recognition and avoidance of prescribing errors, although it did not result in competency. Exposure to pharmacist expertise in this area may encourage collaboration in practice.

Practice pathways, education, and regulation influencing nurse practitioners’ decision to provide primary care: a rapid scoping review

“…The highest level of evidence (Level IV) was generated from 10 secondary analyses of service use and expenditure/billing data studies with a health economic focus [ 10 , 11 , 27 – 34 ], and one pre-test, post-test study [ 35 ].…”

“…Two studies examined the benefits of multidisciplinary education for primary care NPs, finding an improvement in self-efficacy was statistically significant for NPs who completed an interprofessional program with dental students compared with non-participants ( p = 0.02) [ 73 ]. A 14-week multidisciplinary pharmacy led program improved Family NPs’ recognition and avoidance of medication errors, although overall competency was not statistically improved [ 35 ]. Virtual programs for rural primary care NP candidates [ 74 , 75 ] reported participant satisfaction with virtual education, simulation and evaluation of core clinical skills in primary care, however these two studies reported incomplete methodology.…”