I'm seeing some concern in the pharmacy profession that further expansion of prescribing to pharmacists on registration is a bad idea. We are a naturally cautious profession.

Good.

I have some sympathy for this view, but there are counter arguments. 1/6 https://twitter.com/PJOnline_News/status/1288147705311539202

13 years ago a colleague and I wrote an editorial, after a similar discussion over coffee. More prescribers, more errors, and perhaps new ones. Paradoxically, pharmacists were abandoning another area of risk (compounding) which they were qualified for. 2/6 https://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/opinion/comment/changing-roles-changing-risks-the-paradox-of-pharmacist-prescribing/10003021.article

Things have changed.

It is clearly true that prescribing carries risks, but pharmacists have unique training on the use of medicines and their risks.

The curriculum has also shifted, with prescribing skills and clinical decision making widespread. 3/6

We are now at a further inflection point in the development of the profession as noted in the position statement of the Pharmacy Schools Council https://www.pharmacyschoolscouncil.ac.uk/phsc-position-statement-the-science-based-therapeutic-practitioner/

There is alignment across the GPhC, NHS, Universities, Professional bodies on this.

A rare alignment. 4/6

Prescribing closer to registration is coming down the tracks for nursing and physician's assistants.

This will happen.

The question is "What is stopping pharmacists from doing something they are qualified to do?"

The answer is, paradoxically, our risk averse culture. 5/6

More work to do, on undergraduate training, on Foundation training, but can be done.

Prescribing will happen. As the self-professed experts in medicines, with extensive training, will pharmacists step up and do it safely?

What are the risks to patients of us not doing so? 6/6