National Prescribing Curriculum

A child with acute otitis media

Provide care for Jack, who is brought to the emergency department by his dad.

  • Cost: free

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About

The National Prescribing Curriculum (NPC) is a series of interactive case-based modules that encourage confident and rational prescribing. The modules follow a stepwise approach as outlined in the WHO's Guide to Good Prescribing.

In this module you will provide care for Jack, who is brought to the emergency department by his dad.

 

Learning objectives

On completion of this module, you should be able to:

  • determine patient signs and symptoms which suggest the need for antibiotic treatment of acute otitis media, while also being mindful of when antibiotics are not indicated
  • where antibiotic treatment is required, choose an appropriate antibiotic to cover the most likely causative organisms
  • write a safe and complete prescription using the safety features of the paediatric National Inpatient Medication Chart
  • adequately communicate the proposed treatment plan and potential medicine-related adverse effects to the child's parent(s) or carer(s) and the healthcare team
  • develop an appropriate plan for monitoring a child's response to therapy, including indications for escalating care.
 

Resources

Prescribing Competencies Framework
The Prescribing Competencies Framework describes the competencies that health professionals require to prescribe medicines judiciously, appropriately, safely and effectively in the Australian healthcare system