Devoting time to studying after you've achieved your pharmacy degree and have been enjoying the buzz of working with patients might not seem the most attractive option. But delve deeper and there is more to becoming a pharmacist prescriber than meets the eye. Although you will have to complete an accredited course (see panel, right), there are other equally important steps, and the benefits will soon make the effort worthwhile.
Alastair Buxton, head of NHS services at PSNC, says it's important that anyone thinking of becoming a prescriber works out how they want to use their skills afterwards, rather than seeing the qualification as a means to an end. You could think about prescribing for minor ailments, for example, or specialising in a particular clinical area.
At the C+D Awards 2009, shortlisted candidates for the Pharmacist Prescriber of the Year award ran everything from COPD and hypertension clinics to substance misuse services. Picking such a specialist area has career benefits as it will improve your clinical knowledge as you gain more experience. Eventually, you could consider using these skills to help you become a qualified pharmacist with a special interest (PhwSI).
Dan Guidi of DP Guidi Pharmacy in Glasgow, uses his prescribing qualification to support his smoking cessation service by prescribing varenicline. Offering such a complete service can bring great job satisfaction as it involves assessing patients, managing their conditions and also responding to their clinical problems. As Jane Lumb, training manager at Numark, says, becoming an independent prescriber can "open up many doors for pharmacists to access new services and really put into practice their clinical skills".
It's not just job satisfaction, though. Developing your clinical skills will also show you're a pharmacist in tune with the move from a purely dispensing role to services delivery, which could make you more attractive to employers.
In offering the services you'll be building rapport with patients, which is also an attractive trait to pharmacy businesses. Mr Guidi agrees that as an employer he would see a prescribing qualification as "a feather in someone's cap".
Through offering a new service you might also get the opportunity to work in different environments such as a specialist clinic for substance misuse, or homeless centres. This means you can demonstrate your ability to adapt and work under different conditions.
Whatever you choose to do with your qualification, though, will need to be agreed with your PCT, or whoever is going to fund the health service you are offering. Ms Lumb says this can often be the hardest part about becoming a prescriber. "You will need to get support locally and for this you really need to look at where you can add value to patients and existing services," she advises. "Talk to your GPs to find out what they think and where they feel they could benefit from your new skills. Involving them at the beginning is the best way to make sure they work with you in the longer term."
Working with other healthcare professionals is a key skill for any pharmacist, so this experience is sure to help your career. Nina Barnett works as a prescribing pharmacist at a nursing home and says one of the most important things is her collaboration with other clinicians.
There are many benefits to becoming a pharmacist prescriber and it's worth getting started now as it is likely to become increasingly useful. Jonathan Mason, the DH's community pharmacy tsar, says as pharmacy becomes more clinically focused he expects to see a growth in the number of prescribers. He can see independent prescribing being used instead of measures such as patient group directions in the future, meaning you could be at the cutting edge of service innovations.
And if you're having doubts, just ask those who are already doing it. As Mr Guidi concludes: "There's no reason why any pharmacist can't do this... I would urge anybody to do it."