Keynote 2 – Pharmacist prescribing – from vision to reality

Linked to EAHP Statements
Section 1 – Introductory Statements and Governance: Statement 1.1
Section 4 – Clinical Pharmacy Services: Statements 4.1, 4.3, 4.6, 4.8
Section 5 – Patient Safety and Quality Assurance: Statement 5.1
Section 6 – Education and Research: Statement 6.3

ACPE UAN: 0475-0000-21-002-L04-P. A knowledge-based activity.

Abstract

Pharmacist prescribing has transformed medicines optimisation in the UK. Ever since it was introduced in 2003 many thousands of pharmacists have qualified as independent prescribers and use their skills to run medication clinics, optimise medicine across primary and secondary care. In many ways, this legitimised what was happening in practice anyway where pharmacists would leave notes for doctors to action – being a prescriber empowers pharmacists to make autonomous decisions and to take the lead in shared decision making with their patients/carers to enable informed choices about their medicines.

This keynote will explain how it was successfully implemented in the UK, the lessons learned and the benefits realised so that other countries may learn from this experience. The two highly experienced speakers are both qualified pharmacist prescribers. They will explain how they overcame their initial concerns about taking on the role of prescribers and how the educational framework and support, designed around the competencies required to be a prescriber, helped them overcome this. They will use personal examples from the hospital and primary care to inspire pharmacist attendees to consider how they might act as a prescriber in the future. They will also consider the benefits pharmacist prescribing bring for the individual in terms of professional development, as well as for both patients and the wider health care system. The future is here!

Learning objectives
After the keynote, participants should be able to:
• explain how the UK successfully implemented pharmacist prescribing;
• value the difference between thinking like a pharmacist and a pharmacist prescriber;
• recognise the benefits of pharmacist prescribing for patients and the wider health care system for shared decision making in optimising medicines choices.

Educational need addressed
This session will enable pharmacists to understand how one healthcare system (the UK) recognised the value of pharmacists and how having them qualify as prescribers could further realise their potential. Other countries are starting to implement this too, and this session may help that process while inspiring others to start planning for this.

Keywords: pharmacist prescribing, deprescribing, holistic patient care, pharmaceutical care, medication therapy management.