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Prescribing

With pharmacist prescribing becoming more widely embedded across sectors in the UK, The Pharmaceutical Journal’s new collection of prescribing resources has been developed to support pharmacists as they develop the knowledge and skills required to safely, confidently and independently prescribe medicines.

Content is mapped to the Royal College of Pharmacy’s ‘Competency framework for all prescribers’ and is fully contextualised to pharmacist prescribing. As we add to this collection throughout 2024, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the consultation and prescribing process, helping learners to understand the core prescribing principles and models, while developing advanced clinical reasoning and communication skills.

Communication and person-centred practice

Illustration of a pharmacist talking to a patient

Principles of person-centred practice for prescribing

Illustration of a woman in a hijab speaking to a doctor through an interpreter.

Factors influencing effective communication when prescribing

Illustration of two sets of hands of people in deep discussion

Communication techniques for prescribing

Collage of four illustrated images of different situations in prescribing as a pharmacist

Test yourself: communication and person-centred practice for prescribing

Stylised illustration of a pharmacist talking to a patient

Health psychology and advanced communication skills for prescribers

Assessment and diagnosis

Stylised illustration of a woman talking to her prescribing pharmacist

Introduction to the prescribing consultation

Stylised illustration of a pharmacist taking down a patient's history

Principles of effective history taking when prescribing

Stylised illustration of a pharmacist taking someone's blood pressure

Introduction to clinical assessment for prescribers

Stylised illustration of a pharmacist using a stethoscope on a patient's chest

Performing a physical examination on a patient when prescribing

Stylised illustration of a man showing his pharmacist that his head hurts, with her showing him an open laptop

Principles of diagnostic reasoning

Illustration of a pharmacist holding up an ipad to a patient

How to assess mental health when prescribing

Skills for improving prescribing practice

Illustration of an older woman sitting at a desk with a pharmacist, with a variety of pills between them

Managing and reducing polypharmacy when prescribing

Stylised illustration of a woman looking at a computer quizzically with an ipad in her hand.

Using data to improve prescribing practice

Illustration of a hand reaching, pausing, in front of shelves of different medication

Understanding human factors in patient safety when prescribing

Stylised illustration of people all commenting and reflecting on a sheet of paper

Reflective practice for pharmacist prescribers

Stylised illustration of a pharmacist at a computer looking thoughtfully over a laptop, resting his chin resting on his hand, which holds a pen

Understanding scope of practice and accountability when prescribing

Tablets being crushed in a pestle and mortar

Prescribing unlicensed and off-label medicines

Man at desk looks at computer screen while holding mouse. On screen is NHS prescription service

Principles of effective prescription writing for pharmacist prescribers

Prescribing dilemmas

Illustration of an older man talking to a younger female pharmacist at a desk, gesturing, while she fills out forms on an ipad, with a question mark superimposed on top

Prescribing dilemma: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors for heart failure in an older patient

Illustration of a prison nurse handing over two different packs of tablets from a barred window

Prescribing dilemma: clozapine prescribing in prison

Prescribing dilemma: balancing risk and benefits of off-label migraine treatment in a child

Stylised illustration of a pharmacist talking to a stressed female patient

Prescribing dilemma: balancing risk and benefit when treating sertraline sexual dysfunction

Orange background with a black and white images on top: a woman holding her head and a gloved hand holding a syringe

Prescribing dilemma: high-cost biologics in moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis

Elderly woman with walking stick ascends stairs. Illustration in black and white with orange background

Prescribing dilemma: balancing risk and benefit when prescribing anticoagulation in an older patient with falls risk