Experiences from the initial 3 years of introducing the British Pharmacological Society and UK Medical Schools Council Prescribing Safety Assessment for Danish junior doctors.

Abstract

Aims: The British Pharmacological Society and UK Medical Schools Council Prescription Safety Assessment (BPS/MSC PSA) is an electronic platform developed for assessing the prescription skills of medical students. Our aim was to investigate the feasibility of the BPS/MSC PSA in addressing prescribing competencies among junior doctors in a hospital setting.

Methods: The Department of Clinical Pharmacology at Odense University Hospital established a Danish translated programme using the BPS/MSC PSA platform. We launched a formal 3-year programme in 2021, potentially assessing all first-year doctors at Odense University Hospital and Esbjerg Regional Hospital. Participation was followed by a survey.

Results: During the period of 2021 to 2023 n = 364 doctors were invited, from which n = 246 participated. The compliance rate increased from 38% in 2021 to 88% in 2023. The mean assessment score (points normalized to percentage) across n = 246 participants was 71%, and 94% achieved a score of at least 50%. A subset of participants responded to the survey, with the majority of those completing the questionnaire indicating that the purpose of the assessment was clear. The items related to difficulty and number of questions received comparable evaluations, and most respondents found the questions clinically relevant.

Conclusion: It is feasible to translate and implement the BPS/MSC PSA in a Danish hospital setting. The programme provides insight into the prescribing competencies of junior doctors and the participants are generally positive.