The right prescription

Help shape the GMC’s new guidance on prescribing and make sure it covers the issues that really matter for your patients to receive safe effective treatment.

We are consulting on draft guidance, Good practice in prescribing and managing medicines and devices (pdf). It covers difficult issues such as prescribing unlicensed drugs, prescribing through websites and prescribing controlled drugs for yourself or your family.

The draft guidance makes clear that doctors must never issue prescriptions if they believe these could be for the convenience of care staff looking after patients, rather than for the benefit of the patients themselves. It also requires doctors to raise and respond constructively to concerns about adverse incidents and near-misses involving the use of medicines and medical devices.

'We have proposed a number of significant changes to our guidance and we want to hear what you, both as a doctor and as a patient, think about them,’ said Professor Sir Peter Rubin, Chair of the GMC.

‘The guidance is still only in draft and we can and will make changes as a result of your feedback.’

We are consulting on the draft new guidance until 27 May 2011. You can take part in the consultation on our consultation website.

Following the consultation, we will amend the guidance to reflect the feedback we have received and publish it in early 2012.