Specially trained pharmacists and nurses in the United Kingdom will soon be prescribing certain drugs if a patient's doctor gives permission. The move may help ease pressure on the country's GPs, whom the Royal College of General Practitioners says are in the midst of a “workforce crisis.” A recent poll of GPs by the college found that 59% of respondents felt nurses should have more prescribing powers. The new plan means that after a diagnosis involving conditions such as hypertension, asthma and diabetes has been made, prescriptions can be refilled without another visit to the doctor. Pharmacists and nurses will receive special training before becoming “supplementary prescribers.” In Canada, Alberta pharmacists recently asked for the right to prescribe, but the CMA remains skeptical about the proposal (CMAJ 2003;168[1]:77). — CMAJ
. 2003 Jan 21;168(2):209.