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BackgroundTeaching of medication prescribing is a specific challenge in general practice curriculum. The aim of this study was to identify and rank the competencies required for prescribing medication for general practice residents in France.MethodsQualitative consensus study using the nominal group technique. We invited different stakeholders of the general practice curriculum and medication use in primary care to a series of meetings. The nominal group technique allowed for the quick development of a list of consensual and ranked answers to the following question: “At the end of their general practice curriculum, in terms of medication prescribing, what should residents be able to do?”.ResultsFour meetings were held that involved a total of 31 participants, enabling the creation of a final list of 29 ranked items, grouped in 4 domains. The four domains identified were ‘pharmacology’, ‘regulatory standards’, ‘therapeutics’, and ‘communication (both with patients and healthcare professionals)’. Overall, the five items the most highly valued across the four meetings were: ‘write a legible and understandable prescription’, ‘identify specific populations’, ‘prescribe the doses and durations following the indication’, ‘explain a lack of medication prescription to the patient’, ‘decline inappropriate medication request’. The ‘communication skills’ domain was the domain with the highest number of items (10 items), and with the most highly-valued items.ConclusionThe study results suggest a need for developing general practice residents’ communication skills regarding medication prescribing.

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Background:Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. In France, mass screening has been established with FOBT since 2008. The participation rate remains too low. Previous studies were conducted to explore doctors ' and patients ' perspectives. Objective: This study was conducted to explore GPs ' performance during consultations in which patients ask for FOBT, focusing on two diff erent aspects: the core content of the consultation and the communication style used between GPs and patients. Methods: Nine purposively sampled GPs were asked to audiotape specifi c consultations. Content analysis was performed using Nvivo 9 software. Communication between doctors and patients was explored using RIAS coding. Results: GPs audio taped specifi c parts of 35 diff erent consultations when they discussed and delivered the FOBT. The core content included primarily biomedical statements with a large portion dedicated to technical aspects. The communication style was not patient-centred. Conclusion:While the participation rate of mass screening in France is still low, the analysis of recorded consultations by French GPs confi rms that the way of delivering FOBT can be improved.