Pharmacists' views on potential non-medical prescribing for pharmacists in Sweden: a nationwide survey study

The role of pharmacists in healthcare has evolved, and in several countries, they have prescribing rights. Currently, pharmacists in Sweden do not have the right to prescribe. Exploring their views on pharmacist prescribing may be a critical step toward advancing the profession and improving patient care.

To explore pharmacists' views on potential pharmacist prescribing in Sweden.

An online questionnaire about pharmacist prescribing was distributed via email to Swedish pharmacists who are members of the Swedish Pharmacists Association (n = 5597). The questionnaire covered demographic information and statements about predefined prescribing models, preconditions, benefits, and risks associated with pharmacist prescribing. Each statement had a 4-point agreement Likert scale response option with additional "Don´t know/no opinion" option. Data were collected in May 2024. Closed-ended questions were analyzed descriptively, while open-ended questions were categorized and summarized.

Of the 395 respondents (7% response rate), 75.2% (n = 297) agreed with introducing at least one model of pharmacist prescribing. The two models that received the most support were "Prescribing based on an agreement or collaboration with one or more independent prescribers" (50.1%; n = 198) and "Independent, but limited prescribing rights" (48.1%; n = 190). All predefined preconditions were important for the respondents; their education (97.2%, n = 384) was identified as the most important factor. Overall, respondents agreed more with the benefits than the risks of introducing pharmacist prescribing. Most frequently (somewhat) agreeing that an enhanced professional position of pharmacists in health care was a key benefit (91.1%; n = 369), and the risks that respondents most (somewhat) agreed with included increased workload (80.8%; n = 319) and the conflict of interest involved in pharmacists acting as both prescribers and dispensers (60.8%; n = 240).

The majority of respondents supported introducing at least one pharmacist prescribing model in Sweden. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers considering an expanded role for pharmacists in Sweden, which may include a variety of extended professional roles in different settings.