Recurring concern
Unsafe medication prescribing
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Request correctionFirst reported 5 May 2013•Latest report 25 Jun 2026
What this concern includes
Includes failures involving the clinical appropriateness of prescribing or medication selection, including inadequate assessment of indication, patient circumstances, relevant information, alternatives or dose.
Not included
- Excludes failures limited to medication administration after an otherwise appropriate prescription.
- Excludes generic documentation, training or communication deficiencies unless they directly result in or are explicitly tied to an unsafe prescribing decision.
- Excludes dispensing, supply or monitoring failures that do not concern whether the medication prescription itself was clinically appropriate.
- Reports
- 121
- Individual concerns
- 151
- Date range
- 2013–2026
- Stated actions
- 246
Distinct published reports
A report can raise multiple concerns
First to latest report issue date
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
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Concerns raised1
Failure to consult patients before first prescribing medication with an increased risk of self-harm
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statementsNo respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Data last updated 7 September 2026