Centre for Primary Care Seminar | Trajectories of safety in collaborative actions: an ethnographic study of repeat prescribing in UK general practice
| Dates: | 18 March 2014 |
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| Times: | 14:00 - 15:00 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | Institute of Population Health |
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| Who is it for: | Adults, Current University students, University staff |
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| Speaker: | Dr Suzanne Grant |
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Host: Centre for Primary Care
About the event:
Within UK general practice, the quality and safety of repeat prescribing has long been recognised as an important concern. Repeat prescribing accounts for up to three quarters of all drugs prescribed, with approximately half of all registered patients receiving treatment by repeat prescription. While estimates of the scale of prescribing errors vary, a recent study (Avery et al. 2012) found that 1 in 20 prescription items contained either a prescribing or monitoring error. Recent studies have identified a wide range of underlying causes of error in repeat prescribing that are linked to general practice socio-technical systems and processes, including inter-professional teamworking, communication, IT systems, and practice working environments.
This study examined the safety and effectiveness of key high-volume, safety-critical organisational routines (e.g. acute and repeat prescribing, results handling) across seven general practices in Scotland and England. A multi-site ethnographic case study design was employed that involved the observation of key organisational routines, in-depth interviews with clinical and administrative staff, and the analysis of relevant documents and artefacts (e.g. formal protocols).
This seminar will focus on the nature of safe repeat prescribing processes across the seven general practices as resources of resilience and strength. Particular attention will be paid to the tacit knowledge, hidden competences, and collaborative practices of GPs and receptionists that are crucial for the everyday preservation of safety within these complex socio-technical systems.
Speaker
Dr Suzanne Grant
Role: Lecturer in Medical Anthropology
Organisation: Division of Population Health Sciences at the University of Dundee
Travel and Contact Information
Find event
5th Floor
Williamson Building
Manchester
