Coping with COVID: Preparing prescribers during the pandemic

Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2022 May;88(5):2437-2440. doi: 10.1111/bcp.15153. Epub 2021 Dec 22.

Abstract

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Education England (HEE) and the University of Birmingham provided National Health Service (NHS) staff free access to SCRIPT, a national eLearning programme for safer prescribing and therapeutics. The eLearning was particularly for those returning to work or being redeployed. In the year March 2020-21, 3412 users registered to access portfolios and opened an aggregate of 17 198 modules. Each user completed a median of 2 (range 1-50, interquartile range [IQR] 1-7) assessed learning modules. Marks improved from pre-test to post-test by a median of 2 (IQR 0-3) marks out of 10. The most frequently selected modules were Adherence and Concordance (1109 users), Fluids (981 users) and Diabetic Emergencies (818 users). A total of 878 users accessed the unassessed COVID-19 module. The SCRIPT modules provided standardised education in core principles relating to prescribing and therapeutics, and were used by professionals from many healthcare disciplines.

Keywords: COVID-19; drug prescriptions; drug therapy; education; health professionals; internet; learning.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • COVID-19*
  • Humans
  • Learning
  • Pandemics*
  • State Medicine