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Pharmacology for physician associate programmes: a collaborative, flexible and responsive approach to curriculum
Brogan N Guest1, Chanceeth Chandrakanthan1, Kate Bascombe1
1St George's, University of London, London, UK.
Future Healthcare Journal
|December 10, 2021
Summary
Physician associates (PAs) in the UK are set to gain prescribing rights with new statutory regulation. This expansion aims to enhance healthcare services by allowing PAs to prescribe medication, pending further review.
Area of Science:
- Medical Regulation
- Healthcare Workforce Development
- Pharmacology Education
Background:
- Over 2,000 Physician Associates (PAs) practice in UK general and secondary care, with significant growth projected.
- Current UK legislation prevents PAs from prescribing medication due to a lack of statutory regulation.
- The Department of Health and Social Care has announced the upcoming statutory regulation of medical associate professionals, including PAs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To inform stakeholders about the impending statutory regulation of Physician Associates in the UK.
- To highlight the current limitations on PA prescribing authority.
- To outline the ongoing considerations regarding the scope of practice and prescribing for PAs.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent policy announcements regarding the regulation of medical associate professionals.
- Analysis of the current legislative framework impacting PA practice in the UK.
- Description of the curriculum at St George's, University of London, including applied pharmacology for PAs.
Main Results:
- Statutory regulation for Physician Associates is being introduced, with the General Medical Council as the regulator.
- A working group is actively deliberating on key aspects, including prescribing authority and scope of practice.
- Applied pharmacology is a core component of PA education at St George's, University of London.
Conclusions:
- The introduction of statutory regulation is a significant step towards enabling Physician Associates to prescribe medication in the UK.
- Further developments are expected regarding the scope of practice and prescribing authority for PAs.
- Educational institutions are preparing PAs for expanded roles through curriculum components like applied pharmacology.
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