Multiple repeat prescriptions for patients is the default position in modern day primary care as described in Cahill’s editorial.1 Adding indication labelling to the drug instructions firmly links the drug with its clinical indication (http://clinicalindications.com/). For example, the drug allopurinol’s usage instruction would be ‘Take one daily to prevent gout’. Patients are delighted to have this simple way of knowing what each drug is used for and saves the prescriber from having to repeatedly explain each drug’s use in the consultation. This process is recommended for use by all doctors in the General Medical Council guidelines in Good Practice in Prescribing, in 2013.2 Clinical indications works seamlessly with uploads to the NHS Spine. Sadly, no computerised version of this process is yet available for harried clinicians, but I remain convinced of its long-term merit. Remember it was over 50 years ago that we starting naming the drug rather than just stating ‘please take this prepared mixture’, so isn’t it high time for us to state the indication?
- © British Journal of General Practice 2015
