Pharmacist Prescriber

[admin]

Hi

Would you really want to be able to prescribe any drug for virtually any condition if it was possible?

Can you imagine the uproar when that first pharmacist prescribing error is done?

We all see every day mistakes made by Dr's, wether it be by accident, overwork or just stupidity, but nothing ever seems to happen because of these errors.

Do you think the same luxury would be allowed to you?

What do we think? Would you want that risk?

[kemzero]

No, I wouldn't want to prescribe for everything,besides for p'cists prescribing and dispensing there is bound to be some degree of conflict of interest.

P'cist prescribing for minor ailments,rectifying prescriptions or Long term conditions would be OK.

P'cists should also prescribe within their own competence and I doubt whether that would include every area if we are honest with ourselves

[admin]

No, I wouldn't want to prescribe for everything,besides for p'cists prescribing and dispensing there is bound to be some degree of conflict of interest.

P'cist prescribing for minor ailments,rectifying prescriptions or Long term conditions would be OK.

P'cists should also prescribe within their own competence and I doubt whether that would include every area if we are honest with ourselves

Fair enough, but what's gonna happen to the poor guy who makes the first error?

[Zoggite]

besides for p'cists prescribing and dispensing there is bound to be some degree of conflict of interest.

That's never stopped any dispensing GP!

For my part, my desire to be able to "prescribe" stems purely from my frustration at having to say all too often "I know what you need but I'm not allowed to sell it to you"; This is hopefully going to happen less and less, with the current trend towards mor and more POM-to-P switches. After all, who would have believed ten years ago that we'd be selling flixonase, zirtek, levonelle, imigran, chloramphenicol eye drops, or buccastem over the counter?

[admin]

Zo

I totally understand your viewpoint, but I just feel that we get treated so harshly that if a mistake was made, the trouble you'd get into would not make it worth your while.

I have been told that there are far fewer nurses struck off etc then then pharmacists, yet we out number them by loads. I haven't looked into the figures, but a pharmacist/lawyer told me that.

I understand protecting the public is important, but it seems we always get the raw deal. If a Dr writes an overdose and a pharmacist takes it at face value because he has trusted the Dr has good reasons for doing so, the pharmacist will carry the lot. The Dr won't get anything done to him.

The have insurance for accidents, and it works very well for them.

Wasn't Shipman a drug addict for a while? Wasn't he helping himself to morphine or diamorphine or both for a while? Wasn't he still allowed to work? A pharmacist would face serious jail time for that, then be struck off!

I believe the public haven't got a clue as to what goes on, so the excuse of "we have to do this to you, to keep public confidence in the profession" isn't any sort of reason to me. How many members of the public even know a pharmacist is considered to be a professional person? Has any of them the knowledge that pharmacists can be struck off? I seriously doubt it myself.

[Jeff]

Hi

Would you really want to be able to prescribe any drug for virtually any condition if it was possible?

Yes.

We all see every day mistakes made by Dr's, wether it be by accident, overwork or just stupidity, but nothing ever seems to happen because of these errors.

Yes it does - it just isn't published in the PJ.

Do you think the same luxury would be allowed to you?

I would expect my insurance/defence organisation to afford some protection

What do we think? Would you want that risk?

As long as the price is right.

I want the ability to prescribe within my competence - and the ability to refuse to prescribe anything I don't feel competent to prescribe.

Jeff

[gaby]

Hi

Would you really want to be able to prescribe any drug for virtually any condition if it was possible?

Can you imagine the uproar when that first pharmacist prescribing error is done?

We all see every day mistakes made by Dr's, wether it be by accident, overwork or just stupidity, but nothing ever seems to happen because of these errors.

Do you think the same luxury would be allowed to you?

What do we think? Would you want that risk?

but who would do the checks on what you prescribe? Will that be the job of the dispensing technician?

And if we prescribe everything and anything, then is there any need for such highly paid doctors???

Personally i really doubt pharmacists will ever be prescribing anything, they may have certain specialist areas from which they can prescribe.

[Zoggite]

Personally i really doubt pharmacists will ever be prescribing anything, they may have certain specialist areas from which they can prescribe.

We already do prescribe a lot of things! just because it doesn't involve a green piece of paper doesn't mean it's not prescribing when we recommend glycerin suppositories to someone seeking treatment for constipation, or paracetamol for pain; minor Ailment Schemes and other PGDs are also examples of "pharmacist prescribing". OK, so we're not allowed to "diagnose" conditions, only to "respond to symptoms"; but in my book, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck,...!
I do agree though that we should have specialised areas, but then one culd argue that point about GPs too: a General Practitioner is just that, a Jack-of-all-trades and Master of None; What does the Forum think?

[admin]

We already do prescribe a lot of things! just because it doesn't involve a green piece of paper doesn't mean it's not prescribing when we recommend glycerin suppositories to someone seeking treatment for constipation, or paracetamol for pain; minor Ailment Schemes and other PGDs are also examples of "pharmacist prescribing". OK, so we're not allowed to "diagnose" conditions, only to "respond to symptoms"; but in my book, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck,...!
I do agree though that we should have specialised areas, but then one culd argue that point about GPs too: a General Practitioner is just that, a Jack-of-all-trades and Master of None; What does the Forum think?

Personally I don't want to prescribe anything. I'm too afraid of the consequences if a mistake is made.

Yes I do think a general practitioner is a jack of all trades, but if they get anything difficult they just refer to a consultant anyway.

[Linnear]

I wouldn't mind doing other jobs like prescribing.

I know where you're coming from though admin. Cornwall may have only just had electricity put in but we always seem to be first in the queue for initiatives.

We were one of the first areas to try the EHC and minor ailment PGDs and I was relatively sh*tting myself for the first few but you soon get used to it.

You get to know the things that you can do and what you can't. The PGDs have strict guidelines anyway but if I see/hear something I don't like I won't supply regardless of whether it's in the PGD guidelines or not.

The only problem I have with all these extra jobs is that no-one seems to see that we need more backing, staff, money etc. if we're to do all of these jobs.

Come on admin if nurses can prescribe why can't we?

I love nurse's Rxs that are basically a whole page of the BNF copied onto the FP1O! Shows they really haven't a clue what they're doing!

I had a nurse once ask me how to prescribe 50/50 ointment!