How good are doctors as drug prescribers?

The training of doctors in therapeutics has created interesting discussions internationally. A survey of senior hospital pharmacists currently practising throughout West Malaysia was embarked on during a recent postgraduate seminar. About sixty per cent said prescribing errors were common amongst doctors. Sixteen per cent of the prescribing errors were potentially serious. Most of the time errors were due to carelessness, lack of knowledge on drug action or a combination of both. Nearly 35% of prescribing errors were not acknowledged by doctors. Most doctors did not give reasons for not acknowledging pharmacists' intervention. About half (46.5%) of the respondents thought that doctors were not adequately trained in the use of drugs.