New Standards for pharmacist prescribers have been issued by the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland today.It replaces the previous edition published in 2009 and follows a public consultation held in December 2012.
The revised Standards and Guidance provides more detailed information in relation to specific areas of practice and is also compliant with legislative changes in the UK and Northern Ireland.
Under the new guidance, mixing of medicines must only be undertaken when clinically appropriate and essential to meet the needs of the patient, rather than for the convenience of a health professional.
Pharmacist prescribers are also reminded that they must report any actual and potential adverse drug reactions and must only prescribe for a patient when they have relevant knowledge of the patient’s health, medical history and of medicines required for treating their condition.
All pharmacists who prescribe privately must also follow the standards and guidance outlined in this document and should only prescribe within their sphere of competency.
Commenting on the revised Standards and Guidance, President of the Pharmaceutical Society NI, Jacqui Dougan said;
‘I would like to thank those who contributed to the review of the Standards and Guidance in 2012 and all those who took part in the consultation and provided valuable feedback.
‘Pharmacists will have a key role to play in delivering Transforming your Care and pharmacist prescribing introduces opportunities to make better use of the skills and expertise of pharmacists, increases patient choice in accessing medicines, and contribute to the introduction of more flexible team working across the health service.’
Registrar Brendan Kerr added;
‘These Standards and Guidance should provide assurance to other health professionals and patients that pharmacist prescribers must comply with these standards, in order to be able to prescribe safely and effectively.
‘To ensure compliance and good practice, it is imperative that all pharmacist prescribers in Northern Ireland refer to this document.’
ENDS