Drug Safety Articles
21 articles in this category
Safe Prescribing in Polypharmacy: 5 Key Principles
Elderly patients on multiple medications face compounding risks. These five evidence-based principles help clinicians prescribe safely in complex polypharmacy scenarios.
Prescribing in Pregnancy: Navigating Drug Safety
Drug prescribing in pregnancy requires balancing maternal treatment needs against fetal risk. Learn about teratogenicity risk classification, commonly safe drugs, and agents that must be avoided.
Controlled Drug Prescribing: Regulations and Best Practice
Controlled drugs carry specific legal prescribing requirements in the UK. This guide covers the schedule system, mandatory prescription elements, and how MedNext's 64 controlled drug monographs support safe practice.
Geriatric Prescribing: Avoiding Common Pitfalls
Older patients on multiple medications are at high risk from inappropriate prescribing. The AGS Beers Criteria, STOPP/START tool, anticholinergic burden, and falls-risk drugs are essential knowledge for every prescriber.
NSAIDs: Balancing Pain Relief with Safety
NSAIDs are among the most widely used drugs in the world, but their gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal risks are frequently underestimated. Here is what every prescriber needs to know.
Safe Opioid Prescribing: A Risk-Benefit Framework
Opioids are among the most effective analgesics available, but their potential for dependence, misuse, and overdose demands a rigorous risk-benefit framework at every prescribing decision.
Medication Reconciliation: Preventing Errors at Care Transitions
Care transitions — admission, discharge, and handover — are the highest-risk points for medication errors. Structured medication reconciliation is the single most effective safeguard.
Paracetamol: Safe Use, Dosing, and Overdose Risks
Paracetamol is the world's most widely used analgesic, yet its narrow margin between therapeutic and toxic doses makes understanding safe use essential for every prescriber and patient.
Omeprazole and PPIs: Balancing Acid Suppression with Long-Term Safety
Proton pump inhibitors are among the most prescribed drugs in the world, but accumulating evidence links long-term use to a range of adverse effects that every prescriber should recognise.
Ibuprofen: When to Use It and When to Avoid It
Ibuprofen is one of the most used analgesics worldwide, but its gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal risks are frequently underappreciated. Here is a clear guide to safe prescribing.
Salbutamol: Inhaler Technique, Dosing, and Safety
Salbutamol is the most prescribed reliever inhaler for asthma and COPD. Correct inhaler technique and awareness of overreliance risks are essential knowledge for every prescriber and patient educator.
Codeine: Metabolism, Risks, and Why It Matters
Codeine's analgesic effect depends entirely on its conversion to morphine — a process driven by CYP2D6 genetics. Understanding metaboliser status explains both treatment failure and potentially fatal toxicity.
Prednisolone: Short and Long-Term Corticosteroid Safety
Corticosteroids are powerful anti-inflammatory agents but carry significant risks with prolonged use. A guide to safe prescribing.
Furosemide: Managing Fluid Overload Safely
Loop diuretics are essential in heart failure and oedema management. Understand electrolyte monitoring and ototoxicity risks.
Methotrexate: Safe Prescribing and Monitoring
Methotrexate is a high-risk medication. Weekly dosing, folic acid supplementation, and blood monitoring are essential for safe use.
Tramadol: The Opioid That Catches Prescribers Out
Tramadol has unique risks including serotonin syndrome and seizures. Now a controlled drug, its prescribing requires careful consideration.
Gabapentin and Pregabalin: Neuropathic Pain and Controlled Status
Gabapentinoids are widely used for neuropathic pain but carry misuse potential. A guide to appropriate prescribing and tapering.
Ciprofloxacin and Fluoroquinolone Safety Concerns
Fluoroquinolones carry serious adverse effects including tendon rupture and neuropathy. When are they truly indicated?
Diazepam and Benzodiazepines: Short-Term Use Only
Benzodiazepines should be short-term only. Understand dependence timelines, withdrawal protocols, and elderly risks.
Azithromycin: Short Courses, Long QT, and Stewardship
Azithromycin is convenient but carries cardiac risk. A guide to appropriate use and avoiding unnecessary prescribing.
Naproxen: The NSAID With the Best Cardiovascular Profile
Among NSAIDs, naproxen has the most favourable cardiovascular safety data. But GI and renal risks still apply.