Pharmacology & prescribing questions

[Harpreet Bassi]

Dear All

As you progress through this module you will come across many questions when it comes to pharmacology and prescribing.

I ask you to share them on this channel. No question is a silly question! This is your time to establish your ‘clinical decision making’ pathways. As I am sure you will quickly realise good prescribing taps into you knowledge, skills and behaviours: peer discussion can therefore be helpful.

Try and capture as much clinical context as you can without identifying the patient or breaking confidentiality. Feel free to ask questions that arise from your clinical work or this module, however I will ask you to share where you have looked for answers or what you have done to find the answers (this cannot be an ‘easy’ way out of doing the work) so we can ‘all’ build on the discussion and decision making process. Finally and, most importantly, this is a safe space to ask questions.

I look forward to hearing from you

Best wishes

Harpreet

 

[Claire Morris]

Hello

I am finding the drug bank online very useful to find out information.

I am struggling with the BNF as I am finding this very confusing at times.

Does anyone have any handy tips or hints for the use of the BNF please?

I am personally struggling with the pharmacodynamics and answering the set questions and defining each stage for the mode of actions – I shave been over the module twice but just don’t seem to be grasping the concepts!!

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Claire

[Jenna Moore]

Hi Claire,

I am also finding that I can’t find the information I am looking for in the BNF and other sources appear to be better…..sometimes it is useful. I think Alison is looking into a session on the BNF so that will be great!

Like you also the pharmacodynamics is the testing part for me…….

Not sure this has helped at all but think in the same boat!

 

Jenna

[John Chapman]

Hi Claire and Jenna, the good thing is you’re not alone. i find the BNF difficult as it requires a lot of back and forth, to find the answers to the modes of action, i found drug bank and emc a lot easier, i say easier, i mean less difficult!! as for revisiting the sessions, i’m also having to view them at least twice for things to sink in….

[Harpreet Bassi]

Hi all, this is a good question. The BNF is a great resource ‘if’ you know how to use it. It may sound obvious, but there is a section at the start of the BNF that guides you how to use it. Most will use it as a dictionary and there will be a lot of back and forth. When using other resources just check to see that they are UK based as information will vary in other countries. If you want a quick snap shot of how the drug works then I would personally recommend the BMA drug guide. This is aimed at the lay person and a great medical jargon free intro. I recommended this to medical students who like yourselves found the BNF challenging. I am new to the OU so in the first instance please check the recommended reading list, in addition to it, consider this book, it is designed as a dictionary so easy to use. https://www.amazon.co.uk/BMA-New-Guide-Medicine-Drugs/dp/1405361794

Hope this helps

[Author]

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