The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
10
WQ.438/2019
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY K.G. PAMPLIN OF ST. SAVIOUR
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 22nd OCTOBER 2019
Question
Following the adoption of the Health Care (Registration) (No.5) (Jersey) Regulations 2019 on 8th October 2019, what work has the Minister done, or is doing, to inform all pharmacists and other professionals listed in the Regulations who are now able to prescribe about the changes; and how long does he expect it will take before everyone implicated by the changes is able to dispense, taking into account any training requirements?
Answer
These changes do not mean that these additional professionals are automatically able to prescribe. Professionals who wish to be able to prescribe will need to successfully complete a postgraduate university- based course and be recognised as a prescriber by their relevant professional regulator before they can register as an independent prescriber in Jersey.
Not all professionals will want to be able to prescribe – it will be their decision as to whether to undertake the additional training required to qualify as a prescriber. Because of this, it is likely that only a proportion of healthcare professionals will choose to become prescribers, so it is unlikely we will ever get to a position where everyone in professional groups covered by these changes will be able to prescribe. There is therefore likely to be a gradual increase in numbers over several years.
These changes are about prescribing and not dispensing. Indeed, professional guidance states that there must be a separation between the functions of prescribing and dispensing with these functions performed by separate healthcare professionals (other than in exceptional circumstances) to protect patient safety. The opportunity for a second healthcare professional to check the clinical appropriateness of any prescription before dispensing enhances patient safety.
All pharmacists currently registered in Jersey have been informed of this change, which brings the position in Jersey in line with that in the UK.