The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7195 p557-561
27 April 2002

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More pharmacists may prescribe for minor illnesses in Scotland

A project which allows pharmacists to prescribe over-the-counter medicines on NHS prescriptions is to be expanded to cover the whole of Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust. The direct supply of medicines project has been piloted in two pharmacies in Patna, Ayrshire, and Arbroath, Angus (PJ, 23 February, p238).

Andrew McLaughlin, senior pharmaceutical adviser, Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust, told The Journal that the trust's senior management team approved the roll-out on 23 April. "The roll-out will start in October this year and be completed by 2003," he said. "Pharmacists in the trust will be able to chose whether or not to participate."

The expansion is the next step towards offering the service across the whole of Scotland. The Scottish strategy for pharmaceutical care, "The right medicine", states that similar schemes will be introduced across Scotland by 2005 in order to allow patients to use their pharmacist as the first port of call for the treatment of minor illnesses.

A news feature this week examines issues surrounding the introduction of supplementary prescribing for pharmacists (see p562).