Family medicine
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Duplicate prescription pads are used in many family practice residency programs to monitor prescribing patterns and detect errors in the actual prescription-writing process. This study looked at whether the review of duplicate prescriptions could be enhanced by adding the patient's diagnosis to the prescription. ⋯ The addition of the patient's diagnosis to the prescription enhanced the review of duplicate prescriptions. It permitted the evaluation of not only the prescription-writing process but also the decision-making process that led to writing the prescription. It also permitted a more thorough evaluation of appropriate drug use.
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Medical students and residents are more likely to understand the health needs of a community if they have community-based practical experience during their training. This report describes a community-oriented educational experience for medical students and family practice residents in rural North Carolina. ⋯ A community-oriented primary care rotation can provide students and residents with an important understanding of the health system and health problems of a community.