www.mddus.com DENTAL PRESCRIBING


APP LAUNCHED A NEW app to support drug prescribing within primary care dental practice has been launched in Scotland. Dental Prescribing has been developed for use on the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and presents advice on the management of a range of dental conditions using a problem-oriented approach. Drug regimens are displayed in a


‘prescription-like’ format to aid prescribing for both adults and children in primary care and are linked to the British National Formulary (BNF) website for information on drug interactions. Advice on the management of medical emergencies is also provided. The app has been developed in collaboration


with Waracle in Dundee by the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP), which is part of NHS Education for Scotland (NES). Dr David Felix, Dean for Postgraduate Dental


Education at NES, said: “I am sure that this new way of delivering prescribing guidance will appeal to many in the dental profession and will build on the success, popularity and usefulness


of the printed guidance.” The Dental Prescribing app is available to purchase from the App


Store.


MDDUS YEARBOOK HANDOUTS


MDDUS have been visiting a number of dental schools recently to deliver yearbooks to our graduate members. The yearbook is free if you take up graduate membership with MDDUS, which offers access to dento-legal assistance and professional indemnity for just £10. We also paid a special visit to the new Aberdeen Dental School where


we helped mark the graduation of its first group of trainees by giving our graduate members a free pair of Hogies Eyeguards to help them start their new careers with confidence. For more information please contact Olivia McCulloch at MDDUS on


omcculloch@mddus.com or 0845 270 2034. The yearbook offer applies to all medical and dental schools in Scotland.


AVOID SELF-PRESCRIBING SAYS MDDUS


MANY dentists may hold the view that self-prescribing is a convenient aspect of the job and that in writing scripts for straightforward items such as antibiotics they are simply saving time and NHS resources.


But MDDUS has handled cases


where dentists have been subject to fitness to practise proceedings for either self-prescribing or for prescribing to a family member or friend. We advise that it is good practice for dentists to only prescribe drugs to meet the dental needs of their patients. “Self-prescribing is not technically illegal,” says MDDUS dental adviser Claire Renton. “But it does raise serious ethical concerns and could ultimately result in a complaint to the GDC.” In its guidance Responsible Prescribing, the GDC advises against


treating and diagnosing yourself or those close to you. It states: “Other than in emergencies, you should not prescribe drugs for yourself or for anyone with whom you have a close personal or emotional relationship.” There are many reasons for such tight controls on self-prescribing,


mainly concerning the loss of objectivity, says Claire. “Part of prescribing drugs responsibly means prescribing only


when you are able to form an objective view of your patient’s health and clinical needs. Everyone needs objective clinical advice and treatment. “Dentists who prescribe drugs for themselves or those close to


them may not be able to remain objective and risk overlooking serious problems, encouraging or tolerating addiction, or interfering with care or treatment provided by other healthcare professionals.” So the main message is follow GDC guidance when contemplating


whether or not to prescribe for a family member or friend, says Claire. “Even if it is a prescription for something innocuous, you don’t want to do anything that might compromise your professionalism and duty of patient care.” Read the full GDC guidance Responsible Prescribing on their website at www.gdc-uk.org


PUBLIC HAPPIER WITH NHS DENTISTRY


DON’T SUPER-SIZE ME


PUBLIC satisfaction with NHS dentistry increased in 2011 for the third year running, a new survey suggests. The British Social Attitudes Survey found satisfaction with dentistry


rose by five percentage points to 56 per cent last year, continuing increases seen in 2009 and 2010. John Appleby, chief economist at the King’s Fund (which sponsored the annual poll’s health questions), said the rise was likely a “reflection of increasingly better access to dentists carrying out NHS work”. Dentistry bucked the trend seen across the rest of the NHS where


satisfaction levels dropped from a high of 70 per cent in 2010 to just 58 per cent last year. This is the largest fall since the survey began in 1983 and follows 10 years of improving results. The King’s Fund concluded that falling satisfaction is less likely to


PLANS have been unveiled in New York for a ban on super-sized soft drinks over 16 ounces in a bid to curb rising obesity levels. The law was proposed by mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Obesity Task Force who want to restrict sales of sugary drinks. PHOTO: REUTERS/ANDREW BURTON


reflect a deterioration in services than concern over the government’s health reforms and funding cuts. More than 1,000 people were surveyed between July and November


last year, which coincided with high-profile media coverage of the government’s health reforms and the beginning of its squeeze on NHS funding.


GENERAL DENTAL COUNCIL www.gdc-uk.org


RESPONSIBLE PRESCRIBING


Dentists have an obligation to prescribe responsibly and in their patients’ best interests, in accordance with the principles set out in ‘Standards for dental professionals.’


National Health Service (NHS) regulations define what drugs can be prescribed on the NHS. Until 2004, dentists treating NHS patients were expected to prescribe from the Dental Practitioners Formulary (DPF), a concise list of permissible drugs annexed to the British National Formulary (BNF). The DPF has subsequently been incorporated into the BNF, no longer existing as a separate list, but interspersed between drugs that cannot be prescribed by dentists on the NHS. However, a dentist can prescribe any drug from the BNF on private prescription.


We would like to remind all dentists that you should not prescribe drugs other than to meet the identified dental needs of your patients. You must make an appropriate assessment of your patient’s condition, prescribe within your experience and competence and keep accurate records of the treatment.


Prescribing drugs is an integral aspect of many treatment plans, where you have knowledge of your patient’s health and medical history. It is important to have an understanding of your patient’s current health and medication, including any relevant medical history, in order to prescribe drugs safely. If in doubt, a dentist should contact the patient’s General Practitioner (GP) or alternative General Dental Practitioner (GDP) to clarify any queries.


Part of prescribing drugs responsibly means prescribing only where you are able to form an objective view of your patient’s health and clinical needs. Everyone needs objective clinical advice and treatment. Dentists who prescribe drugs for themselves or those close to them may not be able to remain objective and risk overlooking serious problems, encouraging or tolerating addiction, or interfering with care or treatment provided by other healthcare professionals.


Other than in emergencies, you should not therefore prescribe drugs for yourself or for anyone with whom you have a close personal or emotional relationship.


January 2008


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