Risks and concerns about supplementary prescribing: survey of primary and secondary care pharmacists.
OBJECTIVE (OF THE STUDY): To provide data on the views of chief pharmacists (CPs) and primary care trust pharmacists (PCTPs) on the risks and concerns surrounding supplementary prescribing.


METHODS
Secondary and primary care within England.


METHODS
Postal questionnaire surveys of chief pharmacists and primary care trust pharmacists.


METHODS
Significance of the association between the extracted factors.


RESULTS
The response rate was 68% for both the primary care (183/271) and secondary care surveys (97/143). The survey tool was subjected to factor analysis and reliability testing. For both sectors, the three factors that were extracted described concerns over the training model for supplementary prescribing, concerns about the professional competency/responsibility of the supplementary prescribers once trained, and positivity about the implementation of supplementary prescribing. For both sectors, as trusts have more experience of supplementary prescribing by nurses, the respondents had less concerns about the supplementary prescribing training model. For secondary care, as the total number of pharmacists employed within the trust increases, the respondents had less concerns over the limitations of the supplementary prescribing training model.


CONCLUSIONS
Although both sectors have concerns over the training model for supplementary prescribing and also professional competence and responsibility once trainees qualify, there is overall a positive attitude towards supplementary prescribing and there is a belief that pharmacists wish to take this role on.
Hobson
Rachel Jane
RJ
Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath and Swindon & Marlborough NHS Trust, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK. R.J.Hobson@bath.ac.uk
Sewell
Graham J
GJ
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003625:Data Collection; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D004493:Education / Q000379:methods; D004512:Education, Pharmacy; D004739:England; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011320:Primary Health Care; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D013222:State Medicine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires