GPs cautiously welcome pharmacist prescribing

Media Release

14 December 2012

Royal New Zealand College of GPs cautiously welcomes pharmacist prescribing

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners cautiously welcomes today’s announcement that some pharmacists will be able to prescribe medication under changes to be made to the Medicines Act and the Misuse of Drugs Act.

“We are reassured by the requirement that pharmacists who qualify to prescribe will need to work in a collaborative team environment and under an agreed ‘practice plan’ endorsed by the clinical leader, in either a hospital or pharmacy setting,” says RNZCGP President Dr Tim Malloy.

“While we value the important contribution pharmacists make to patient care and support, improving health and reducing fragmentation of care, prescribing medication is part of a comprehensive management plan general practitioners have with their patients.”

Dr Malloy says prescribing should come after a diagnosis made by a medical practitioner and after consideration of all the relevant factors including medical history, clinical examination and review of any investigations.

“General practitioners are the first point of care for patients and we must continue to
maintain that primary role.

“We look forward to working with pharmacists to ensure there is an appropriate level of collaboration and coordination in order to avoid the inefficiencies, safety risks and poor quality care that can result from fragmentation.'

ENDS

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