title: Pharmacist's perceptions of nurse prescribing of emergency contraception.
abstract: Proposed strategies to reduce the rate of unplanned pregnancy in the UK include widening access to hormonal emergency contraception (HEC) through nurse prescribing and over-the-counter sales by pharmacists. This article reports on the perceptions of pharmacists regarding the appropriateness of nurse prescribing of HEC drawn from a survey of pharmacists' attitudes towards HEC deregulation. A 10% sample (n = 3999) of all members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain was surveyed and a response rate of 38.6% (1543 respondents) achieved. Pharmacists were asked whether or not nurses should prescribe HEC and in what capacity. In respect of the statement that: 'Nurses should not be allowed to prescribe post-coital contraception', 42% of respondents agreed while 31.6% disagreed. This indicates that pharmacists do not have a consensus view regarding nurse prescribing of HEC. Arrangements for pharmacists prescribing under protocol received the support of 60.2% of respondents, whereas 41% expressed support for nurse prescribing under protocol. There was also relatively little support for 'specifically trained' nurses prescribing HEC. The findings are considered in relation to the development of a coherent and accessible provision of HEC and the wider implications for interprofessional relationships concerning prescribing.
authors.affiliation: Nursing and Midwifery Research Unit, University of East Anglia, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blackwell
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Holden
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D032921:Consensus; D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007884:Legislation, Nursing; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital