Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.
Skip to main content
Review
Classic

Principles of conservative prescribing.

Schiff G, Galanter W, Duhig J, et al. Principles of conservative prescribing. Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(16):1433-1440. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.256.

Save
Print
March 23, 2012
Schiff G, Galanter W, Duhig J, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(16):1433-1440.
View more articles from the same authors.

Strategies to prevent medication errors are an ongoing focus in patient safety. Computerized provider order entry, medication reconciliation, avoidance of drug–drug interactions, and bar-coded medication administration are a few areas generating significant attention. This review discusses an alternate approach to medication safety, focusing on prevention of prescribing unnecessary medications at the outset. The authors provide a set of principles that urge clinicians to: think beyond drugs, practice more strategic prescribing, maintain heightened awareness about side effects, exercise skepticism about new drugs, work with patients for a shared agenda, and consider long-term impacts of medications prescribed. Each of these principles is discussed and sets the background for a recommendation to shift current paradigms in prescribing from "newer and more is better" to "fewer and more time tested is best."

Save
Print
Cite
Citation

Schiff G, Galanter W, Duhig J, et al. Principles of conservative prescribing. Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(16):1433-1440. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.256.