Updated GMC Guidance – Supporting doctors to prescribe safely
Please note this guidance does not come into effect until 05 April 2021
‘Good practice in prescribing and managing medicines and devices’ sets out our standards for good practice when prescribing face-to-face or remotely, when prescribing unlicensed medicines, and for when patient care is shared with another doctor.
Following the call for evidence in 2020, guidance has been restructured to integrate information on remote consultations and prescribing throughout. It’s vital that the principles of good practice apply whether in a face-to-face or remote setting.
Key updates to the guidance include:
- new advice for doctors not to prescribe controlled drugs unless they have access to patient records, except in emergencies
- stronger advice on information sharing, particularly when a patient refuses consent to share information with other relevant health professionals.
- alignment with our updated ‘Decision making and consent’ guidance, highlighting the importance of good two-way dialogue between patients and doctors in all settings.
Further details are available at https://www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/good-practice-in-prescribing-and-managing-medicines-and-devices-updated
