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The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has warned that some independent prescribing (IP) pharmacists are facing pressure to reach targets. 

At the final round of PDA regional committee meetings this year, representatives from the South East of England reported “increased pressure” on community pharmacists to implement the new prescribing services, which many pharmacies have declined to sign up to. 

The PDA reported: “The committee were particularly concerned about newly qualified IPs in terms of the pressure that they face to reach targets and navigating performance related prescribing habits.

“Members felt that in contrast, more support has been put in place for new IPs working in primary care.”

Locum Pharmacists in the South East of England also discussed hourly rate trends and the implications of a reported lack of training availability for the delivery of the five prescribing-based pathways.

The Scotland, Northern Ireland and Isle of Man committee heard of staffing shortage concerns affecting community pharmacies, “leading to growing numbers of pharmacy closures and unfilled shifts”.

There were also reports of “increasing workload pressures” and “additional expectations being placed upon independent prescribers without the necessary infrastructure and support”.

In particular, concerns were raised around access to designated prescribing practitioner (DPP) supervision for trainee IPs, “training consistency” and whether the present arrangements “adequately prepare pharmacists for the specific clinical activities they are expected to undertake in practice”.

Primary care representatives in Scotland and Northern Ireland also warned that some GP-based pharmacists are “increasingly undertaking administrative rather than clinical work,” limiting their ability to use their prescribing qualification. 

“Members considered that more efficient deployment of pharmacists would improve both patient outcomes and workforce satisfaction,” reported the PDA.

In Northern England, representatives from the community sector discussed rising workload and increased pressure to deliver services, as well as “insufficient support and protected time for IP training and professional development”.

The Wales, West England and Channel Isles committee raised concerns around the expansion of Pharmacy First pathways in England, “particularly around workload, staffing, training, and ensuring pharmacists work within their competence and confidence”.

The committee also heard from hospital pharmacists who were concerned about “the readiness of some trainees to practice safely as IPs” and about the “difficulty of combining prescribing training with wider foundation training requirements”.