The PSA
Section 4 of 8
Providing information
Select the single most important piece of information to give a patient about a medicine.
12 marks · 6% of the exam6 items × 2
What it tests
Pick the one safety-critical counselling point for a medicine — the thing that, if not said, could cause harm.
How to tackle it
- 1Ask: what is the single most important safety message for *this* drug?
- 2Favour the point that prevents serious harm over general advice
Worked example
A patient is starting methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis.
Answer
“Take it once a WEEK — never daily.” (Daily dosing is a classic fatal error.)
Pitfalls & high-yield
- High-yield counselling points: methotrexate = weekly; warfarin = INR monitoring & interactions; inhaled steroid = rinse mouth; statins = report muscle pain; insulin = never abbreviate units; oral contraceptive = missed-pill rules.
- Choose the *most important* message, not merely a true one.
How it’s marked
2 marks per item, 6 items = 12 of 200 marks. Standard-set per sitting (pass mark ≈ 60–63%, varies).