{ "abstract": "Purpose\n\nOver 30 years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the Guide to Good Prescribing (GGP) with its accompanying six-step model for rational prescribing. While widely used and proven effective in teaching clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT), the GGP has never been revised to reflect scientific, societal, technological, and educational developments. The aim of this study was to explore which elements could be revised to actualize its content.Methods\n\nCPT teachers experienced with the GGP were recruited from all six WHO regions. Six online nominal group technique sessions were conducted to elicit and prioritize ideas for revising the GGP. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using an inductive thematic approach to capture participants' views on both content and optimal format of the renewed GGP.Results\n\nTwenty-six participants shared136 ideas for the revision, grouped into three main areas: ideas about the usability, accessibility, and awareness of the GGP; ideas about the six-step framework; and ideas about background information or supplementary chapters. Suggestions for improving usability emphasized an interactive, digital platform for accessibility, continuous updates, and integrated resources. Regarding the six-step model, participants recommended retaining its structure while incorporating key considerations such as pharmacovigilance, shared decision-making, and deprescribing. Lastly, participants proposed supplementary information on topics such as therapeutic reasoning and special patient populations.Conclusion\n\nSuggestions for revising the WHO GGP included integrating contemporary and societal prescribing considerations to enhance its relevance, educational impact and usability, thereby supporting safe and effective prescribing in modern clinical practice.", "abstract_shown": true, "affiliations": [ "Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, unit Pharmacotherapy, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands. M.hartjes@amsterdamumc.nl.", "Research and Expertise Centre in Pharmacotherapy Education (RECIPE), De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands. M.hartjes@amsterdamumc.nl.", "Interprofessional Collaboration and Medication Safety, Faculty of Health, Sports and Social Work, InHolland University of Applied Sciences, Pina Bauschplein 4, Amsterdam, 1095 PN, The Netherlands. M.hartjes@amsterdamumc.nl.", "Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, unit Pharmacotherapy, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands.", "Research and Expertise Centre in Pharmacotherapy Education (RECIPE), De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, The Netherlands.", "Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic and Emerging Infections (PCCEI), University of Montpellier, INSERM, Avenue du Doyen Gaston Giraud, Montpellier, 34090, France.", "Department of Fundamental and Applied Medical Sciences, Ghent University, C. Heymanslaan 10, Ghent, 9000, Belgium.", "Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb and University of Zagreb School of Medicine, 12 Kišpatićeva St, 10 000, Zagreb, Croatia.", "IRMB, University Montpellier, INSERM, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France.", "Department of Hospital Pharmacy, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.", "Interprofessional Collaboration and Medication Safety, Faculty of Health, Sports and Social Work, InHolland University of Applied Sciences, Pina Bauschplein 4, Amsterdam, 1095 PN, The Netherlands.", "Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Pharmacology Unit, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 48, Bologna, 40126, Italy.", "Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.", "Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, Utrecht, 3584 CX, The Netherlands.", "Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.", "School of Medicine, Universidad de La Laguna, and Hospital Universitario de Canarias (SCS), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, La Laguna, Tenerife, 38071, Spain.", "Department of Pharmacology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.", "Centre for Health Technology Assessment, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Region Västra Götaland, Gothenburg, Sweden." ], "article_type": "research article", "arxiv": null, "author_total": 20, "authors": [ { "affs": [ 0, 1, 2 ], "name": "Mariëlle G Hartjes", "orcid": "0000-0002-7595-2570" }, { "affs": [ 3, 4 ], "name": "Fleur M W Hendriksen" }, { "affs": [ 3, 4 ], "name": "Michiel J Bakkum" }, { "affs": [ 5 ], "name": "Yoann Cazaubon", "orcid": "0000-0003-1032-0879" }, { "affs": [ 3, 4 ], "name": "Erik M Donker", "orcid": "0000-0002-8169-0714" }, { "affs": [ 6 ], "name": "Ellen van Leeuwen", "orcid": "0000-0002-3155-4095" }, { "affs": [ 7 ], "name": "Robert Likic", "orcid": "0000-0003-1413-4862" }, { "affs": [ 8 ], "name": "Yves-Marie Pers", "orcid": "0000-0001-5927-3773" }, { "affs": [ 9 ], "name": "Tuan A Phan", "orcid": "0009-0004-0532-8723" }, { "affs": [ 3, 4, 10 ], "name": "Joost D Piët", "orcid": "0009-0000-7380-4876" }, { "affs": [ 11 ], "name": "Fabrizio De Ponti", "orcid": "0000-0002-0367-9595" }, { "affs": [ 12 ], "name": "Walter Raasch", "orcid": "0000-0002-8781-2997" }, { "affs": [ 3, 4, 13 ], "name": "Milan C Richir", "orcid": "0000-0001-5523-083X" }, { "affs": [ 9 ], "name": "Floor van Rosse", "orcid": "0000-0002-6194-3964" }, { "affs": [ 14 ], "name": "Jitka Rychlíčková", "orcid": "0000-0001-5764-5326" }, { "affs": [ 15 ], "name": "Emilio J Sanz", "orcid": "0000-0001-6788-4435" }, { "affs": [ 12 ], "name": "Markus Schwaninger", "orcid": "0000-0002-4510-9718" }, { "affs": [ 16, 17 ], "name": "Susanna M Wallerstedt", "orcid": "0000-0001-7238-1680" }, { "affs": [ 3, 4 ], "name": "Michiel A van Agtmael", "orcid": "0000-0002-7966-6934" }, { "affs": [ 3, 4, 10 ], "name": "Jelle Tichelaar", "orcid": "0000-0002-7485-9219" } ], "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3wda8ec5bbws9.bib", "cited_by": 0, "doi": "10.1007/s00228-026-04198-1", "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13668889", "id": "3wda8ec5bbws9", "issns": [ "0031-6970", "1432-1041" ], "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42873273", "language": "eng", "licence": "CC-BY", "licence_label": "CC BY", "licence_source": "article", "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "metadata_licence": null, "native_subjects": [ [ "openalex", "3004|Pharmacy and Medical Practices" ] ], "openalex": "W7221751037", "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13668889?pdf=render", "pmcid": "PMC13668889", "pmid": "42873273", "published": "2026-10-14", "publisher": null, "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3wda8ec5bbws9.ris", "sources": [ { "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:46Z", "native_id": "MED:42873273", "source": "europepmc", "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42873273" } ], "subjects": [ { "field": "medicine", "origin": "openalex:3004|Pharmacy and Medical Practices", "subfield": "pharmacology-toxicology" } ], "title": "What should be updated in the WHO guide to good prescribing?", "title_text": "What should be updated in the WHO guide to good prescribing?", "type": "peer-reviewed", "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:46Z", "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3wda8ec5bbws9", "venue": "European journal of clinical pharmacology", "versions": [] }