The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7190 p397-401
23 March 2002

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Letters to the Editor

Pharmacist prescribing

Are pharmacist presribers really necessary?

From Mr S. Jethwa, MRPharmS

May I respond to the letter from Ian Nock (PJ, 16 March, p362)? Nurses do not know more than pharmacists about the medicines they are prescribing. But they can freely consult a pharmacist.

The Department of Health document "Extending independent nurse prescribing within the NHS in England" at p18 refers to "free" advice offered by all pharmacists. Come one, come all, as the circus ringmaster would say. After all there are enough pharmacist monkeys to pick up all the peanuts offered!

Besides, pharmacist prescribing would lead to runaway costs for the Department since we are likely to prescribe for too many patients who, at the moment, are likely to purchase medicines over the counter. And, of course, we now have the walk-in centres, so who needs pharmacist prescribers?

Sobhash Jethwa
London SW19

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