Pharmacists to be allowed to prescribe any licensed medicine
Pharmacists will be able to prescribe from a full
formulary |
Pharmacist independent prescribers will be enabled to prescribe any licensed medicine for any medical condition from spring next year, with the exception of controlled drugs, the Department of Health announced last month. This will also apply to extended formulary nurse prescribers.
The DoH will be publishing more detailed guidance in April or May next
year, and amended NHS regulations are also expected to be published around
this time.
Tony West, president of the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, commented
that although this is good news for pharmacists “the devil will
be in the detail” regarding what will be specified in the regulations. “Once
we know what is possible we will know what is practical,” he said.
He added that independent prescribing should especially improve the treatment
of patients with long term conditions who can be managed by nurse or
pharmacist independent prescribers.
|
Hospital Pharmacist