Pharmacology: Do medical students learn what we teach?

Context: There is concern about the ability of newly qualified doctors to prescribe safely, and it is said nurses are taught more and better about pharmacology than doctors. Despite considerable curriculum time given to pharmacology examiners consistently comment that, relative to their other skills, students’ ability in prescribing is low. We believed that it was not lack of teaching but a failure to learn and integrate the knowledge that was responsible.