Understanding medicines: extending pharmacology education for dependent and independent prescribing (Part II)

This paper relates to the extent and depth of understanding of medicines that is required for supply and administration of medicines under group protocol (dependent prescribing) (Crown 1998, 1999) for patients who are taking concurrent medications or independent prescribing from extended formularies or the entire British National Formulary. This includes a concise account of the level of understanding needed of: classifications, actions and effects (pharmacodynamics), duration of action and pharmacokinetics, interactions, and drug discovery, development and evaluation. A final section relates to aspects which students have found most challenging and provides examples of helpful explanations of concepts that have been found difficult. The limited familiarity of most nurses with chemistry is the greatest cause for anxiety, and yet it is unrealistic to argue the case for this subject as a prerequisite to a career in nursing. Instead, taking a pragmatic view of the need to meet students where they are, and making creative use of domestic analogies and images, has served to make pharmacology accessible. Examples of these aids to understanding are outlined.