Society welcomes support from MPs for independent prescribing by pharmacists
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has welcomed the fact that 114 cross-party members of Parliament have now backed an early day motion (EDM) supporting the Government's announcement on independent prescribing powers for pharmacists and nurses.
The motion has been signed by 65 Labour MPs, 30 Conservative MPs, 17
Liberal Democrat MPs. and two others.
Because the motion has attracted more than 100 MP signatories, it will
now be specifically brought to the attention of the Secretary of State
for Health, Patricia Hewitt, through the “red box” used by
civil servants for important ministerial information.
The motion was tabled by Laura Moffatt (Lab, Crawley) on 13 February.
An EDM is a motion tabled for debate “on an early day” but
for which no actual date has been fixed. MPs use them to put on record
their opinion on a subject and canvass support from fellow members.
The Society’s President, Hemant Patel said: “This is encouraging
news and shows that MPs from all of the major political parties are firmly
backing independent prescribing by pharmacists and nurses. Since 1995,
when the Pharmacy in a New Age consultation was completed, the Society
has consistently underlined how pharmacists’ skills and experience
will benefit patients through independent prescribing.
“The Society is working with the Government to develop training
and working protocols to ensure the utmost levels of patient safety and
the end result
will mean faster access to medicines for patients, a reduction on work
pressures for busy GPs and an important opportunity for pharmacists to
provide new services. I am sure that pharmacists will be exploring possibilities
of prescribing at local level.”
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