Prescribing changes

Prescribing is expected to reduce the number of patients who need to be referred back to a GP practice after a pharmacy consultation.

Pharmacy technicians do not need to know every clinical detail of a prescribing service, but they must understand its operational limits.

These may include which conditions the pharmacist prescriber can manage; age ranges; appointment treatment length; whether remote consultations are allowed; what records must be completed; how prescriptions are generated; and what escalation route is used when a patient needs an urgent review.

In practice, this might mean maintaining a daily service checklist:

• Pharmacist prescriber available
• Consultation room ready
• Referral inbox checked
• Clinical systems accessible
• Emergency equipment available where required
• Stock available for likely treatments
• Route agreed for contacting GP practice.

Reliable referral processes

Successful collaborative working depends on reliability. If a GP practice refers patients to a pharmacy but the service is unavailable on a regular basis, confidence falls.

Equally, if pharmacy teams receive referrals without clear information, patients may experience delay or confusion. The aim is to make the process predictable for everyone.

Pharmacy technicians can help by keeping GP practices informed about service availability. This may include the number of consultation slots available each day; whether a pharmacist prescriber is working; whether the pharmacy can provide Pharmacy First consultations, contraception or blood pressure services; and how urgent issues should be escalated.

Some areas use digital referral systems, while others rely on NHSmail, telephone contact or locally agreed methods.

Whatever the route, pharmacy technicians should understand how referrals are checked, how consent is recorded and how completed consultations are communicated back.

If a patient is not suitable for the service, the pharmacy should explain clearly what has been found and what action is needed next.