Pharmacists will prescribe solo

The government wants pharmacists to start prescribing 'independently' by the end of next year, junior health minister Lord Warner told the Proprietary Association of Great Britain's annual self-care conference in London last week.

In the keynote speech, Lord Warner told delegates that the Department of Health was 'now beginning discussions on the development of a framework for independent prescribing by pharmacists' and that the government 'expects' it to be in place 'by the end of 2005'.

Pharmacists have been able to prescribe medicines within a framework agreed with an 'independent' prescriber (a GP or consultant) - a process known as supplementary prescribing - since March.

The DoH is currently in discussions with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain to determine the framework within which pharmacists will be able to prescribe.

Society head of practice Sue Kilby says it is pushing for pharmacists to be given the flexibility to agree with their local PCTs which conditions they can prescribe for, based on their professional competencies.

'Pharmacists would not operate outside their level of competency, so ideally it would be good if they were allowed to prescribe from the whole British National Formulary; then they could choose which area they would want to specialise in, ' she said.

Lord Warner also confirmed to delegates that the government expects to expand supplementary prescribing training to podiatrists, physiotherapists, radiographers and optometrists 'from next year'.