Assessment of prescribing skills in undergraduate medical students in fourth year of training

Medication errors comprise a considerable component of patient morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to objectively determine the prescribing competence of undergraduate medical students.Fourth year medical students were assessed in a 21 station OSCE. The examination was performed four times during the academic year, with a total of 247 students were assessed. Two sittings of the assessment were randomised to include a prescribing task in each station. The remaining two assessments included clinical theory in place of prescribing. The mean score across all stations in the assessments including prescribing was 41+/- 5.66, compared to a mean score of 72+/- 4.45 in the assessments without prescribing questions. (p<0.05). Sub-analysis of the prescribing questions demonstrated that among the incorrect responses, 36% chose an inappropriate medication, 43% prescribed an incorrect dosage, 43% an incorrect route and 46% an incorrect frequency.Prescribing competence continues to be sub-optimal in undergraduate medical students. The conclusion is that there is need for vertical and horizontal integration of prescribing teaching.