You may remember a previous blog letting you know about the new Clinical Scenario forums available on the RCGP Learning site in conjunction with Doctors.net.
These are now up and running with lots of scenarios to consider how you would handle them. If you have a Doctors.net login you can comment too. It is useful to consider different options of how to manage a situation and these are discussed in the comments below each scenario which can all be used as CPD for your eportfolio.
This month’s, shown below, is around overuse of medication. My thoughts on reading it, was relief that I (hypothetically) recalled the patient and having issued the medication – it didn’t just get buried in amongst the many others. Depending on how well I knew the patient I would either give her a quick call or reject the request asking for more information as to why she needed it, but also copy it into the journal notes that this had happened so that if anyone else received a request they would know. But what do you think? Am I being too keen? Should it be a simple reject and the onus is on the patient to get back in touch? Or perhaps, as it is the first real extra request just send it on? Do comment on the site, or tweet us.
Overuse of medication
While reviewing a batch of prescription queries in the Electronic Prescribing System, you come across a request for a month’s supply of 40 mg citalopram tablets. It is for a woman who you saw last week and it strikes you as odd as you recall issuing her with some medication then. The prescription is not on repeat and so is not flagging as being overused but the date of the last prescription issued is just a week ago.
You check back in her notes and find that she had her usual prescription a month ago, another from you a week ago as she said she needed them early as she was going on holiday. Therefore this is the third request in a month for antidepressant medication.
Suggested points for discussion
- What would you do in this situation?
- What safeguards can be put in place to prevent patients at risk of suicide from making extra prescription requests to stockpile medication?
RCGPInnovAiT 