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Letters to the Editor
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The Society
Nurse prescribing — no comment … ?
From Dr R. J. Harman, MRPharmS
Could the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Council explain why it
chose not make any formal comments on MLX 303 (“Nurse prescribers
extended formulary: proposals to expand the range of prescription only
medicines”)? Indeed, has the Council considered these April 2004
proposals? Comments have been submitted by, among others, the National
Pharmaceutical Association and the British Pharmacological Society. Why
not the Society?
The failure to have an input into the proposed extended formulary for
nurse prescribing would be strange under normal circumstances. However,
it is inexplicable in light of the recently announced proposal, MLX 321,
on independent prescribing by pharmacists, which is probably the most
important and fundamental change in the role of pharmacists for many
years.
It is likely that the extended range of conditions and the extended range
of prescription-only medicines agreed for nurse prescribing will form
the basis of any such list generated for independent pharmacist prescribing.
How can the profession not have a view on such a proposal?
Robin J. Harman
Farnham, Surrey
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DAVID PRUCE, director of practice and quality improvement, Royal
Pharmaceutical Society, replies:
The Medicines and Healthcare products
Regulatory Agency
is currently consulting on proposals to introduce independent prescribing
by pharmacists (MLX321) and on options for the future of independent
prescribing by extended formulary nurse prescribers (MLX320). Although
some of the
options for independent pharmacist prescribing do involve a limited
formulary that might be similar to the Nurse Prescribers Extended
Formulary, there
is a recognition that this approach may not be right one for pharmacists.
Indeed a specific question in the consultation asks whether a different
approach should be taken for pharmacists than for nurses.
Members of the Council have been involved in discussions with the
Department of Health over the development of independent prescribing
for pharmacists. In
these discussions, it has been emphasised to the Department that it is unlikely
that the extended nurse prescribing formulary would meet the needs of independent
pharmacist prescribing.
The full Council will be debating the approach that we should take to responding
to these consultations. We will publish our responses to both of these consultations
once they have been agreed by Council. |
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal