U.K. study used practice-based pharmacists to free up GP time, improve staff morale

This study from Scotland found a clinical pharmacist based in a GP practice saves about five hours of GP time per week in prescribing work. Clinical pharmacists were also found to have a positive impact on patient safety, staff morale and staff stress. In the study, the clinical pharmacists took on prescribing work at the practices. The work included requests for prescriptions, immediate discharges (ensuring drugs are accurately reconciled), outpatient requests (for a GP to prescribe or continue drugs) and other drugs matters (supply, drug information and pharmacy queries). The clinical pharmacists were found to reduce GP time spent on these prescribing activities across the practices by 51%, saving an average of 4.9 hours per week, per practice. The Scottish government is in the process of recruiting pharmacists into general practices to support the care of patients with long-term conditions.