Newly qualified independent prescribers should start prescribing immediately, say researchers

Pharmacists who become newly qualified as independent prescribers “need to start prescribing immediately after qualifying” to build confidence and develop their competence, researchers have suggested.

A team of researchers from the University of Nottingham has made a series of recommendations, as part of a study published in Health Policy on 4 December 2024 concerning attitudes to newly qualified pharmacist independent prescribers in England.

The research team, which included Bruce Warner, former deputy chief pharmaceutical officer for England, and Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), analysed 17 online interviews held with stakeholders, including pharmacists and policymakers.

Eleven recommendations emerged from the interviews, including that recognised systems should be in place to facilitate the widening scope of practice; experiential learning should be built into all training programmes; and a performance management framework should be in place for pharmacist prescribers.

The researchers said that although standards from the General Pharmaceutical Council “are embedded into professional practice, unlike doctors, for whom appraisal processes and supervision are much more developed, pharmacists are not subject to a performance list”.

“It is important therefore that specific governance frameworks are in place as pharmacists start to prescribe,” they said.

They also found that “pharmacist prescribers tended to be more mindful of their accountabilities and responsibilities than non-prescribers”.

“Those working in secondary care valued support structures and frameworks, whereas those in primary care tended to have less experience of these,” the researchers added.

Additionally, the recommendations included that “newly qualified prescribers need to start prescribing, with support, immediately after qualifying”.

Anderson told The Pharmaceutical Journal: “This research highlights the critical factors needed to successfully embed independent prescribing among newly qualified pharmacists.

“Ongoing support, risk management training and early application of prescribing skills are essential for embedding independent prescribing. Equally important is to ensure pharmacists have protected learning time to build confidence and competence as independent prescribers.”

“We encourage commissioners and employers to act on these findings to ensure pharmacists are fully supported in delivering safe and effective care,” she added.

Results of the NHS England Community Pharmacy Workforce Survey, published in September 2024, showed that the number of full-time-equivalent pharmacist independent prescribers in England increased by 37% between 2022 and 2023, from 1,087 to 1,494 independent prescribers.

Also in October 2024, prime minister Keir Starmer announced that the government is planning to accelerate the roll-out of independent prescribing in community pharmacy to help improve access to general practice.

From September 2026, all pharmacists will be independent prescribers at the point of registration.