GPs win award for drug ‘alert’ card

A project designed to promote safer use of a potentially deadly medication has won a quality award.

Designed by Cork GPs Dr Diarmuid Quinlan and Dr Paul Ryan, the project involves a high-vis “alert” card, the same size as a driving licence, for patients on methotrexate, a potent drug commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.

If taken in the wrong dose, the drug is potentially lethal. Dr Quinlan and Dr Ryan were given the ICGP Quality Award 2013 for their endeavours.