The DLOSCE (Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination) assesses a wide range of clinical skills, including the ability to prescribe medications accurately. Among its components are two prescription tasks, which test your ability to evaluate patient information and make informed prescribing decisions. In this blog post, we’ll explore what these DLOSCE prescription tasks entail, how they’re structured, and how you can maximize your score.

Overview of Prescription Tasks

The DLOSCE examination includes two distinct prescription tasks, each designed to simulate real-world scenarios where dentists must prescribe medications. These tasks are split as follows

Task 1: Antibiotics – Focused on managing infections, such as those requiring treatment after an extraction or periodontal procedure.

Task 2: Analgesics – Centered on pain management, such as prescribing relief for post-operative discomfort.

For each task, you’ll review a patient box—a concise summary of the patient’s medical history, allergies, current condition, and other relevant details—before determining the best prescription. These tasks mirror the critical decision-making skills needed in dental practice, ensuring you can address patient needs safely and effectively. Steps in a Prescription Task

Each DLOSCE prescription task requires you to complete seven specific steps. Here’s what you’ll need to do

Review the Patient Box: Analyze the patient’s information, including age, weight, allergies, and clinical condition, to inform your prescription choice.

Select an Appropriate Medication: Choose from a list of options (e.g., amoxicillin for antibiotics or ibuprofen for analgesics).

Specify the Strength: Indicate the dosage strength, such as 500 mg per tablet or capsule.

Specify the Total Number Dispensed: Determine how many tablets or capsules the patient should receive (e.g., 20 tablets).

Identify the Dose per Administration: State how many tablets or capsules the patient takes at a time (e.g., 1 tablet).

Specify a Loading Dose: Decide whether the patient needs an initial higher dose (yes or no).

Identify the Frequency: Define how often the medication should be taken (e.g., “twice a day as needed” or “once a day until finished”).

Each of these steps tests a different facet of your prescribing competency, from clinical judgment to attention to detail. Scoring the Prescription Tasks

Candidates can earn between zero and four points per prescription task, with scores determined by a scoring key developed by subject matter experts. Your responses across the seven steps are evaluated holistically, meaning the combination of your choices dictates your credit

Full Credit (4 points): All selections align perfectly with the expert-approved prescription, from medication choice to frequency.

Partial Credit (1–3 points): Some elements are correct, but others deviate slightly—perhaps the strength is right, but the total dispensed is off.

No Credit (0 points): Major errors, such as choosing an inappropriate medication or overlooking an allergy, result in a complete miss.

This tiered scoring reflects the real-world importance of precision in prescribing. A small mistake might still earn partial credit, but a significant error could render the prescription unsafe, warranting no points. Example Scenario

Imagine this patient box: A 35-year-old patient with no allergies presents with a dental abscess requiring antibiotics post-extraction. Here’s how you might approach the task

Patient Box: Confirms no penicillin allergy and an acute infection.

Medication: Amoxicillin (a common antibiotic choice).

Strength: 500 mg.

Total Dispensed: 21 capsules (for a 7-day course).

Dose per Administration: 1 capsule.

Loading Dose: No (not typically required for amoxicillin).

Frequency: Three times a day until finished.

If this matches the DLOSCE scoring key, you’d earn 4 points. But if you chose a 250 mg strength or forgot to adjust the total dispensed, you might only get partial credit. Tips for Success

To excel at DLOSCE prescription tasks, keep these strategies in mind

Study Patient Details: The patient box holds the key—check for allergies, weight (especially for pediatric patients), and the condition being treated.

Know Common Medications: Familiarize yourself with standard antibiotics (e.g., amoxicillin, clindamycin) and analgesics (e.g., ibuprofen, acetaminophen) used in dentistry.

Double-Check Dosage: Ensure the strength, total dispensed, and frequency align with typical dental protocols.

Consider Loading Doses: These are rare in dentistry but could apply in specific analgesic scenarios—review when they’re appropriate.

Practice: Use DLOSCE preparation materials to simulate these tasks and refine your decision-making process.

Why It Matters The prescription tasks on the DLOSCE exam aren’t just about memorizing drugs—they test your ability to synthesize patient data and apply pharmacological knowledge under pressure. Whether it’s prescribing antibiotics to combat an infection or analgesics to ease pain, these tasks ensure you’re ready to make safe, effective decisions in clinical practice. Final Thoughts With two prescription tasks—one for antibiotics and one for analgesics—the DLOSCE challenges you to demonstrate precision and clinical reasoning. By mastering the seven steps and understanding the scoring system, you can aim for that maximum of four points per task. Take the time to practice, review patient scenarios, and brush up on your prescribing skills, and you’ll be well-prepared to tackle this critical component of the DLOSCE examination.