Prescribing Skills Workbook

Prescribing Skills Workbook is the ideal way for students and junior doctors to practice prescribing. The book features 45 exercises, each one carefully chosen to test the reader?s grasp of a key principle, such as managing a patient on warfarin. Each exercise begins with a short clinical scenario; next, the reader is invited to fill in a realistic, life-size chart in response; an answer section follows containing the correctly completed chart, together with a summary of the main clinical and educational aspects of the exercise.

• A unique resource for medical students and junior doctors to improve their understanding of the principles of safe prescribing and practice filling out a drug chart correctly
• 45 life-size charts replicate the experience of completing a prescription, with 45 corresponding charts filled out correctly to compare, identify and rectify errors
• DRUGCHARTS mnemonic systematically highlights the key items to consider when prescribing
• Key points boxes highlight the main learning objectives
• Introductory chapter includes tips for safe prescribing

Introduction
Exercise 1 Basic skills
Exercise 2 Maintenance fluids
Exercise 3 Awkward medications
Exercise 4 Preoperative assessment
Exercise 5 Postoperative complications
Exercise 6 Postoperative pain relief
Exercise 7 Vomiting
Exercise 8 Renal failure
Exercise 9 Chest pain
Exercise 10 Warfarin interactions
Exercise 11 Dysphagia
Exercise 12 Anaphylaxis
Exercise 13 Shortness of breath
Exercise 14 Fluid prescribing in hypotension
Exercise 15 Paediatric fluid prescribing
Exercise 16 Fluid prescribing in epigastric pain
Exercise 17 Prescribing blood
Exercise 18 Electrolyte replacement
Exercise 19 Heparin infusions
Exercise 20 Paracetamol overdose
Exercise 21 Hyperkalaemia
Exercise 22 Hypovolaemic shock
Exercise 23 Preoperative assessment in diabetes
Exercise 24 Prescribing in pregnancy
Exercise 25 Breastfeeding
Exercise 26 Poor oral intake
Exercise 27 Atrial fibrillation
Exercise 28 Acute coronary syndrome
Exercise 29 Alcohol withdrawal
Exercise 30 Antibiotics
Exercise 31 Regular medications
Exercise 32 Nil-by-mouth patient
Exercise 33 Warfarin therapy
Exercise 34 Prescribing gentamicin
Exercise 35 Headache
Exercise 36 Paediatric prescribing
Exercise 37 Palliative care
Exercise 38 Sore throat
Exercise 39 Thromboprophylaxis
Exercise 40 Pain management
Exercise 41 Oliguria
Exercise 42 Confusion in the elderly
Exercise 43 Analgesia
Exercise 44 Insomnia
Exercise 45 Unresponsive patient

Daniel Norton MBBS BSc (Hons)
FY2 Foundation Doctor, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge Univ Hospitals NHS Trust, Cambridge, UK
Nicholas Norton MBBS MSc DTM&H MRCP
CT2 Core Medical Trainee, Southampton General Hospital, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
Jane Caisley BPharm MRPharmS 
Formulary Pharmacist, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, Maidstone, UK
Rosie Furner BSc (Hons) MSc IP MRPharmS
Community Services Pharmacist, East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, Bexhill, UK
Elizabeth Hamilton MBChB BSc (Hons) MRCP (UK) MRCP (Acute) PGDipMedEd
Consultant in Acute and General Medicine, Norfolk & Norwich Univ Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Norwich, UK