A national in-patient prescription chart: The experience in Wales 2004-2012

In 2004, the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group (AWMSG) approved the introduction of a single harmonised standard in-patient medication administration chart across Wales. An acute inpatient version, a long stay in-patient version and a version for paediatric use have all been produced and are regularly updated and made available on the AWMSG Website. These charts are used in conjunction with several supplementary charts (e.g. an anticoagulant prescribing chart). All these charts are supported by nationally agreed prescription writing standards based on national guidelines and legislation, and which apply to all prescriptions, including in-patient charts, out-patient prescriptions, and take-home prescriptions in Wales. A NHS Wales Prescribing and Administration e-learning programme was also developed to support training in their use, since education in the use of the chart from an early stage of training is an important priority. The recently published standards for the design of hospital in-patient prescription charts from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges could expedite the development of a standardised chart across a larger part of the NHS in the United Kingdom than just NHS Wales, as advocated by the General Medical Council and other bodies. A nationally agreed paper chart, informed by agreed design standards could also help in the design of forms for electronic prescribing in hospitals, as this approach is adopted more widely in the future. © 2012 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology © 2012 The British Pharmacological Society.