Online prescription services offer great convenience to patients, but they also come with risks. What do you do if one of your patients has been taking medication prescribed online that you do not think they require? Dr Marika Davies, senior medicolegal adviser at Medical Protection, explores this issue.

Consent is a fundamental principle of medical law. The basic rule is simple: no-one has the right to touch anyone else without lawful excuse and if doctors do so it may well undermine patients’ trust.

If you are unsure about a prescription, or mishear on a ward round, always seek clarification, never guess

Medication errors account for approximately 20% of all clinical negligence claims against doctors in both primary and secondary care. The costs associated with adverse events and inappropriate prescribing has been estimated at more than £750 million per year. This factsheet gives advice about avoiding prescribing errors.

Like you, we believe that prevention is better than cure, so we aim to provide you with much more than a world-class defence. Our ethos is to work with members early on to identify risk and help reduce the likelihood of the problems occurring in the future.

Medication errors make up a fifth of all errors occurring in general practice and many of these are preventable. Extra care must be taken when repeat prescribing, especially if you were not the original prescriber and have not seen the patient. This factsheet outlines the pitfalls, and gives advice on avoiding errors.

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) and the Misuse of Drugs Regulations (2001), GPs have a responsibility for controlled drugs (CDs) within their practice. This factsheet highlights what you should be aware of when carrying, storing and recording controlled drugs.

Medication errors make up a fifth of all errors occurring in general practice and many of these are preventable. Extra care must be taken when repeat prescribing, especially if you were not the original prescriber and have not seen the patient. This factsheet outlines the pitfalls, and gives advice on avoiding errors.

Medication errors account for approximately 20% of all clinical negligence claims against doctors in both primary and secondary care. The costs associated with adverse events and inappropriate prescribing in the UK has been estimated at more than £750 million per year. This factsheet gives advice about avoiding prescribing errors.

Medication errors make up a fifth of all errors occurring in general practice and many of these are preventable. Extra care must be taken when repeat prescribing, especially if you were not the original prescriber and have not seen the patient. This factsheet outlines the pitfalls, and gives advice on avoiding errors.