Prescribing guidance: About this guidance

1. 1. In Good Medical Practice (2006)¹ we say:
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   1. 2. Good clinical care must include:
      1. a. adequately assessing the patient’s conditions, taking account of the history (including the symptoms, and psychological and social factors), the patient’s views, and where necessary examining the patient.
   2. 3. In providing care you must:
      1. a. recognise and work within the limits of your competence
      2. b. prescribe drugs or treatment, including repeat prescriptions, only when you have adequate knowledge of the patient’s health, and are satisfied that the drugs or treatment serve the patient’s needs.
      3. c. provide effective treatments based on the best available evidence.
      4. f. keep clear, accurate and legible records, reporting the relevant clinical findings, the decisions made, the information given to patients, and any drugs prescribed or other investigation or treatment.
      5. g. make records at the same time as the events you are recording or as soon as possible afterwards.
      1. j. make good use of the resources available to you.
   3. 13. You must keep up to date with, and adhere to, the laws and codes of practice relevant to your work.
3. 2. This guidance provides more detailed advice on how to comply with these principles when prescribing and managing medicines and medical devices, including appliances.
4. 3. You are responsible for the prescriptions you sign and for your decisions and actions when you supply and administer medicines and devices or authorise or instruct others to do so. You must be prepared to explain and justify your decisions and actions when prescribing, administering and managing medicines.
5. 4. ‘Prescribing’ is used to describe many related activities, including supply of prescription only medicines, prescribing medicines, devices and dressings on the NHS and advising patients on the purchase of over the counter medicines and other remedies. It may also be used to describe written information provided for patients (information prescriptions) or advice given. While some of this guidance is particularly relevant to prescription only medicines, you should follow it in relation to the other activities you undertake, so far as it is relevant and applicable. This guidance applies to medical devices as well as to medicines.
6. 5. Serious or persistent failure to follow this guidance will put your registration at risk.