Out-of-hours prescribing: a survey of current practice in the UK

This postal survey was developed to establish the current practice for out-of-hours (OOH) prescribing accepted in palliative care units throughout the UK. Around 144 palliative care units were sent a questionnaire and 94 units responded (65.3%). All of the responding units had non-resident medical on call cover. Although verbal orders currently appear to be the most popular communication method for OOH prescribing (84.1%), there was a wide range of other communication systems in use including email, fax and BlackBerry. There appears to be a lack of specific guidance and clarity relating to the use of remote prescribing. It seems that guidance has not kept up with changes in working patterns and technology, and in time this will hopefully change. In the meantime, all staff groups should be involved in the development of local procedures and policies appropriate to local circumstances, which pay due regard to the relevant legislation and clinical governance standards available at the time.