Home > HP (current issue) > News and features / News Centre | Search

PJ Online homeHospital Pharmacist
Vol 12 No 3 p88
March 2005

 Hospital Pharmacist back issues

News summary


Independent prescribing consultation announced

Independent prescribing by pharmacists has moved a step closer with the announcement by the Secretary of State for Health, John Reid, of a consultation period. Proposals for areas where pharmacists could prescribe include patient admission and discharge reviews, acute pain management and medication reviews. Dr Reid said that “allowing fully trained pharmacists to prescribe independently we can make use of their considerable skills in pharmacology and therapeutics,” adding “it [independent prescribing] would also enable pharmacists to offer more clinical services.”

The options being considered are listed in the panel below. The period of consultation runs until 23 May, and more information is available here

Options for pharmacist independent prescribing

· No change
· Prescribing for certain conditions from a limited formulary
· Prescribing for any condition from a limited formulary
· Prescribing for specific conditions from a full formulary
· Prescribing for any condition from a full formulary
· A different approach for different clinical settings
· A hybrid approach

Back to Top

©The Pharmaceutical Journal