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How well are general practice trainees prepared for paediatric prescribing?
N M Isa1, Michael W Taylor, Peter J Helms
1Institute of Applied Health Sciences, NHS Education for Scotland, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
|June 16, 2009
Summary
General Practice Trainees reported inadequate paediatric prescribing training. Many recalled limited undergraduate teaching, impacting confidence despite the importance of paediatric therapeutics in community settings.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- General Practice
- Paediatric Therapeutics
Background:
- Community-based paediatric prescribing and therapeutics are crucial aspects of general practice.
- Assessing the adequacy of training for these skills is essential for ensuring patient safety and effective care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate General Practice Trainees' perceptions of their training in paediatric prescribing and therapeutics.
- To identify potential gaps in undergraduate and vocational training related to paediatric care.
Main Methods:
- An online questionnaire was distributed to 232 General Practice Trainees.
- 166 trainees (71% response rate) completed the questionnaire assessing their training experiences.
Main Results:
- Only 26.5% recalled specific undergraduate teaching on paediatric prescribing, with 59.6% recalling broader relevant topics.
- Undertaking a paediatric post during training significantly increased prescribing confidence (P < 0.001).
- However, 35% of trainees did not plan to undertake a paediatric post.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of General Practice Trainees feel their paediatric prescribing training is insufficient.
- There is a need to enhance paediatric prescribing and therapeutics education within general practice training programs.
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