Prescribing

Long-term opioid prescribing rates rose by almost a third during the COVID-19 pandemic

Exclusive: "Worrying" NHS data show a dramatic escalation in the number of patients prescribed opioids for longer than three months.…

Help wanted: mentor shortage for potential prescribers

As the drive to train many more independent prescribing pharmacists continues, there is an urgent need to increase the number of designated prescribing practitioners to supervise those undertaking a course.…

No new funding for supervisors to support 3,000 pharmacist independent prescribing trainees

Exclusive: Health Education England has confirmed it will not provide backfill payments to support designated prescribing practitioner roles, despite a planned expansion in training places…

RPS publishes guidance on expanding scope of prescribing

The document will support independent prescribers who want to broaden the areas in which they prescribe.…

Pharmacies falling short of target for 30% to offer independent prescribing service

Exclusive: Despite a government-backed target for 30% of pharmacies in Wales to offer independent prescribing services, only 13% are currently offering such services.…

GPhC scraps two-year wait for entry to independent prescriber training

Registered pharmacists will be able to begin independent prescribing training at any time, provided they have relevant experience and are able to recognise, understand and articulate the skills required by a prescriber.…

NHS Education for Scotland funds a further 186 independent prescriber training places

The funded places will be allocated first to pharmacists on the waiting list for training.…

Environmentally sustainable prescribing should be core part of education, say healthcare leaders

Delegates at a session during the NHS Education for Scotland annual conference unanimously agreed that healthcare leaders should do more to support sustainable prescribing and medicines use.…

Funded independent prescriber training for 3,000 pharmacists to begin later in 2022

Education providers have been invited to bid for contracts worth up to £13m in total to provide independent prescribing courses between 1 September 2022 and 31 March 2023.…

PJ view: Time to look again at 28-day prescribing limits

As recommended prescribing intervals are doubled in Wales, we look at the evidence supporting current policy in this area.…