The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7189 p360-364
16 March 2002

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Letters to the Editor

Pharmacist prescribing

Do nurses know more about medicines?

From Mr I. C. Nock, MRPharmS

Emblazoned across the front cover of The Pharmaceutical Journal (23 February) was "How pharmacist prescribing is working now" and I was full of glee in the progress of pharmacy in the United Kingdom. It is the new millennium, after all.

In the same edition was an article on nurse prescribing (p233). After reading through and comparing, however, I found that pharmacists can prescribe such items as lactulose, loperamide, Dioralyte and paracetamol whereas nurses can now prescribe nine oral antibiotics (and a further extensive list of potent medicines mentioned on the Department of Health website).

Did I read this wrongly? Do nurses know more about medicines than pharmacists? Why is this situation not the reverse?

Ian C. Nock
Hong Kong

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