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Prescribing

Pharmacists not beyond the stage of advising

From Mr D. K. Rayner, MRPharmS

I empathise with K. T. Patel (PJ, April 28, p576) over nurse “prescribing”. As a newly diagnosed hypertensive I was similarly taken aback recently when given a leaflet by my general practitioner. The leaflet announced that their new clinics would be better adapted to my needs and that they would, in future, be “nurse-led with doctor support”.

The medicines “prescribed” were decided by the nurse, the form computer-printed, to be subsequently taken by her to another office and signed by the doctor (rubber-stamped?). For good measure, while she was out of the office I could have helped myself to a large number of blank prescription forms hanging off the back of the printer (a matter mentioned to the practice before but over which no action has been taken). It was quite clear to me that this new regime had been instigated to reduce doctor's workloads.

Yes, Mr Patel — we, too, could follow similar protocols (with doctor support, of course) but the fact is that the nursing profession has always been “hands-on” with regard to patients, whereas we have not gone beyond the stage of “advising”. What a pity.

David K. Rayner
Bradford, West Yorkshire

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