Ethics and professionalism CPD for health practitioners in Australia [email protected]
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Online course · Australia

Prescribing Standards and Safe Medicines Practice

Good Prescribing, Medication Safety and Avoiding Common Errors

  • About 2 hours
  • 15 scenario questions
  • Reflective account
  • Certificate of completion
  • Online, self-paced

About this course

Prescribing authority in Australia comes from a mix of state law, registration and endorsement, and the safety of each prescription depends on a process that is easy to rush. This course sets out the framework and the habits that prevent the most common prescribing errors.

The course begins with who may prescribe and where the authority comes from, scheduling, registration and subsidy, and national standards for good prescribing. It then covers the prescribing process, medication history and patient factors, evidence, guidelines and off-label prescribing, and shared decisions.

Writing and communicating prescriptions covers required content, electronic prescribing, abbreviations, doses and look-alike medicines. High-risk medicines are covered through the APINCHS framework, common errors and monitored medicines.

Later sections address monitoring and follow-up, polypharmacy and deprescribing, antimicrobial stewardship, prescribing for yourself, family and colleagues, patient pressure and commercial models, and adverse events and learning from errors.

What you will learn

  • Trace where your authority to prescribe actually comes from in your state or territory
  • Keep TGA registration, scheduling and PBS subsidy separate in your mind and apply PBS criteria properly
  • Follow a structured prescribing process that starts with a full medication history
  • Decide on off-label use carefully and record the patient's informed agreement
  • Write clear, lawful prescriptions on paper or electronically
  • Recognise the APINCHS medicines and the error patterns that catch prescribers out
  • Plan monitoring and review, deprescribe when appropriate and practise antimicrobial stewardship
  • Set limits on prescribing for yourself and people close to you, and respond well to errors

Who this course is for

  • Doctors, nurse practitioners and midwives with prescribing authority
  • Dentists, optometrists and podiatrists who prescribe
  • Pharmacists who prescribe or review prescriptions
  • Practitioners new to prescribing or extending their scope
  • Prescribers reflecting on a medication incident

How the course works

  1. Enrol online and the course appears under My Courses in your Probity Courses account, ready to open on a computer, tablet or phone.

  2. Work through 6 sections and 19 short lessons in order, at your own pace. Your place is saved in the browser you use, so you can stop and come back.

  3. Use the key points, scenarios and reflection prompts in each section, and write your own notes as you go; they stay with your course pack.

  4. Finish with a 15-question final assessment. You need 12 correct answers (80%) to pass, and you can retake it after a short pause if needed.

  5. Write your reflective account, submit the short feedback form and your completion is recorded. Download a certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time (about 2 hours); record the time you actually spend.

Course content

7 sections · About 2 hours · 15-question final assessment

1The Prescribing Framework in Australia3 lessons
  • Who May Prescribe, and Where the Authority Comes From
  • Scheduling, Registration and Subsidy
  • National Standards for Good Prescribing
2Making Good Prescribing Decisions4 lessons
  • The Prescribing Process
  • Medication History and Patient-Specific Factors
  • Evidence, Guidelines and Off-Label Prescribing
  • Shared Decision-Making and Information for Patients
3Writing and Communicating Safe Prescriptions3 lessons
  • What a Prescription Must Contain
  • Electronic Prescribing
  • Abbreviations, Doses and Look-Alike Medicines
4High-Risk Medicines and Common Errors3 lessons
  • High-Risk Medicines: APINCHS
  • Common Prescribing Errors and How to Prevent Them
  • Monitored Medicines and Medicines of Dependence
5Monitoring, Review and Deprescribing3 lessons
  • Monitoring and Following Up
  • Polypharmacy, Medication Review and Deprescribing
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship
6Professional and Ethical Boundaries of Prescribing3 lessons
  • Prescribing for Yourself, Family, Friends and Colleagues
  • Patient Pressure, Conflicts of Interest and Commercial Models
  • Adverse Events, Errors and Learning
7Conclusion, Final Assessment and Reflection4 lessons
  • Conclusion and key points
  • References and quick-reference guide
  • Final assessment (15 questions, 80% pass mark)
  • Your reflective account

Assessment and certificate

  • Certificate of completion stating the estimated learning time (about 2 hours); record the time you actually spend.
  • A written reflective account you can keep with your CPD records.

Questions about this course

What does APINCHS stand for?

Antimicrobials, Potassium and other electrolytes, Insulin, Narcotics (opioids) and other sedatives, Chemotherapeutic agents, Heparin and other anticoagulants, and Systems. It is a widely used Australian framework for high-risk medicines.

Can I prescribe off-label?

Off-label prescribing can be appropriate when supported by evidence and the patient's informed consent. The course explains how to make and document the decision.

Is this course enough to start prescribing in a new area?

No. Prescribing authority depends on your registration, any endorsement and state law. The course explains the framework but does not grant or extend authority.

How does this differ from the Schedule 8 course?

This course covers prescribing standards generally. The Schedule 8 course focuses on drugs of dependence, permits, monitoring and opioid stewardship.

Can I count this course towards my CPD?

That is your call under your Board's CPD standard: you choose activities that match your scope and the learning needs in your plan. If this course fits, file the certificate of completion, record the time you actually spend and note one change you will make in practice.

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