Independent Prescribing!~

[MPharm]

Hi, I would like to know is it good to be an independent prescriber? Also, is it a well-paid job and what is the typical working conditions? Would you please share with me??

Thanks a lot!~

[Linnear]

As an independent prescriber you would be able to set up clinics to treat people suffering with problems that fall within your chosen specialities.

That's if you can get the time away from the dispensing bench.

The English Pharmacy Board has just been asked to give their views on a guide to independent prescribing. It sets out info for how to become an independent/supplementary prescriber and as a web based document it should have links to info resources for already accredited prescribers.

As soon as it has been OK'd and is up and running I'll let you know how to get to it.

[Rafael]

"As soon as it has been OK'd and is up and running I'll let you know how to get to it"

any updates? would love to read the guide if possible.
dispensing 20-30 scripts written by nurses independant/supplementary prescribers every day makes me wonder why ain't a lot of p'cists going into this path." well they only prescribe simple things like oral contraceptives, ibuprofen, lansoprozole..... that's what i noticed".

[SolomonQ]

the million dollar (or £ (or euros in a few years)) question is, Will the PCTs pay for such prescribing services on the NHS, and I say I doubt it!!! and not many people will be willing to pay the pharmacist for a consultation for a private Rx unless it's a psuedo-consulation, when the patient wants tovget things like co-codamol 30/500 or more than 100 paracetamol 500mg tabs. . and the cost is included in the drug price.

I wonder how normal doctors would repond to a pharmacist prescriber working in a pharmacy, prescribing and dispensing medicnes in the same premises. i.e. the presriber potentially benefits from the dispensing of the medicnes. abviously the RPSGB guidance to prescriber pharmacists to NOT dispense at the same place as the Rx was written, but its not illegal to and how many patients are you going to explain the ethics of this practice to....

With this model, an owner pharmacist can hire an ACT, abviously the Rx would be clinically checked while it was being written, the pharmacist would be able to read their own handwriting, lol, in this way the pharmacist would be acting more or less in the same capacity as a dispensing doctor.

Normal GPs would get really pissed off, if a NHS prescribing contact was handed to pharmacists, which might mean they will lose out financially. e.g. patients need not register at a doctors to get "GP" pharmaceutical care, if they can get the same treatment at pharmacies....patients hate travelling for medical care (generaly) so most would love to get the Rx and have it dispensed straight away.

also consider minor ailments services being setup throughout the country....and watch this space

[Jeff]

the million dollar (or £ (or euros in a few years)) question is, Will the PCTs pay for such prescribing services on the NHS, and I say I doubt it!!! and not many people will be willing to pay the pharmacist for a consultation for a private Rx unless it's a psuedo-consulation, when the patient wants tovget things like co-codamol 30/500 or more than 100 paracetamol 500mg tabs. . and the cost is included in the drug price.

I wonder how normal doctors would repond to a pharmacist prescriber working in a pharmacy, prescribing and dispensing medicnes in the same premises. i.e. the presriber potentially benefits from the dispensing of the medicnes. abviously the RPSGB guidance to prescriber pharmacists to NOT dispense at the same place as the Rx was written, but its not illegal to and how many patients are you going to explain the ethics of this practice to....

With this model, an owner pharmacist can hire an ACT, abviously the Rx would be clinically checked while it was being written, the pharmacist would be able to read their own handwriting, lol, in this way the pharmacist would be acting more or less in the same capacity as a dispensing doctor.

Normal GPs would get really pissed off, if a NHS prescribing contact was handed to pharmacists, which might mean they will lose out financially. e.g. patients need not register at a doctors to get "GP" pharmaceutical care, if they can get the same treatment at pharmacies....patients hate travelling for medical care (generaly) so most would love to get the Rx and have it dispensed straight away.

also consider minor ailments services being setup throughout the country....and watch this space

Tony has already answered this with a YES. It's what he does. And it's not a case of doctor or pharmacist in competition with each other, but doctor and pharmacist as (part of) a team in competition with other providers.

The most basic tendering principle being that doctors, pharmacists, nurses and social workers working together is inherently better than doctors or pharmacists or nurses or social workers working in competition to their own agendas.

I was going on about dementia earlier - as an example of the current system - social worker came in on Friday with a high tech MDS system with an alarm that holds a months supply - expecting it to be filled that day.
It isn't going to happen - we don't have the scripts - one of the items comes on a consultants script - so getting the consultants and the GP's scripts to coincide will be a problem.
So you have consultant, GP, pharmacist and social worker all with their own agendas and timetables - all trying to work for the benefit of the patient but unable to co-ordinate as effectively as we could if we truly worked as a team.

Will properly coordinated services for dementia patients be commissioned - I hope so. It needs someone ambitious enough to sort out a working model and run with the idea.

Jeff

[Sir_Dispensalot]

I was going on about dementia earlier - as an example of the current system - social worker came in on Friday with a high tech MDS system with an alarm that holds a months supply - expecting it to be filled that day.
Jeff

is that one of those doohickey boxes that call an alarm centre if the patient doesn't take their dose at the right time?

if it is, i'm fairly sure i read somewhere that the design of them contravenes the medecines act and that we aren't supposed to fill them - the patient and/or relatives can though...

i'm buggered if i can remember where though - i read it last week - maybe in last weeks journal, C&D or maybe off the PCT. as soon as i turn up a link to the info i'll post it here...

[Sir_Dispensalot]

gah! wasn't in anything official, just a memo i got waved under my nose from leeds LPC - telcare pill dispensers - leeds lpc had been advised by the rpsgb that filling them could be a breach in the medicines act.

[Jeff]

gah! wasn't in anything official, just a memo i got waved under my nose from leeds LPC - telcare pill dispensers - leeds lpc had been advised by the rpsgb that filling them could be a breach in the medicines act.

It looks similar - has an alarmto remind the patient - but not sure if it's linked to a wireless system.
What breach of the medicines act did the RPSGB have in mind?

Jeff

[Sir_Dispensalot]

not sure tbh - i've never seen a telcare pill dispenser - give leeds lpc a ring - they should be able to shed some light on the situation for you...

[Ama2007]

does the term PiP stand for pharmacy independent prescriber??