Repeat prescribing is a vital part of everyday general practice — accounting for up to 70% of all prescriptions issued and involving the vast majority of patients living with long-term conditions. But with high volume comes high risk. Without safe systems, effective reviews, and clear communication, the repeat prescribing process can quickly become fragmented — and even dangerous.
This audit helps your practice take a structured look at how medicines are managed, prescribed, and monitored — with a focus on patient safety, compliance, and person-centred care.
Why This Audit Is Important
1. It’s a Patient Safety Priority
Medicines are the most common intervention in healthcare — and the most frequent cause of avoidable harm. Risks include:
- Inappropriate repeat prescribing
- Failure to stop or adjust medicines
- Lack of monitoring for high-risk drugs (e.g. methotrexate, lithium)
- Prescribing errors due to miscommunication
This audit is an opportunity to check that safety netting is in place, monitoring is timely, and repeat systems are robust.
2. It Links Directly to CQC’s Quality Statements
The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Single Assessment Framework includes the specific ‘We’ statement:
Safe – Medicines Optimisation
“We make sure that medicines and treatments are safe and meet people’s needs, capacities and preferences by enabling them to be involved in planning, including when changes happen.”
This audit helps you assess, evidence, and improve your practice’s approach in line with CQC expectations — particularly around:
- Repeat prescribing protocols
- High-risk medicines
- Structured medication reviews
- Communication with community pharmacies
3. It Supports Personalised and Proactive Care
Medicines optimisation is about more than process — it’s about people.
Structured medication reviews (SMRs), shared decision-making, and repeat authorisation are all opportunities to:
- Empower patients
- Improve adherence
- Deprescribe safely
- Tailor treatment to what matters most to the individual
This audit supports those aims by encouraging reflective, person-centred practice.
4. It Connects Clinical Governance to Day-to-Day Delivery
High-quality care comes from good systems. This audit helps you explore:
- How prescribing risks are tracked
- How tasks are delegated and reviewed
- How teams learn from errors or near misses
It encourages cross-team conversations and highlights areas for process improvement — from prescription queries to pharmacy communication.
In Summary
This audit isn’t about catching errors — it’s about preventing them. It gives your practice a chance to:
- Review your current repeat prescribing and medicines review systems
- Align with national guidance and CQC quality statements
- Identify small changes that lead to safer, more effective care
