Collaborative pharmacist prescribing models in Australian hospitals: A scoping study.

Area of Science:

• Clinical Pharmacy
• Health Services Research
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Collaborative pharmacist prescribing models are implemented in Australian hospitals.
• These models involve credentialed pharmacists working with doctors and patients to develop medicine plans and prescribe medications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify pharmacist prescribing policies and procedures in Australian hospitals.
• To provide a narrative summary of implemented models and their associated training.

Main Methods:

• A scoping study with an exploratory and descriptive approach was used.
• Hospital pharmacy directors were contacted to provide policies and procedures.
• Details of models and training were extracted and summarized.

Main Results:

• Fifteen collaborative pharmacist prescribing models were reported across over 35 hospitals.
• Fourteen models included formal training programs, but scope of practice and training varied.
• Recognition of credentialing between hospitals was limited.

Conclusions:

• Significant variation exists in scope of practice, training, and credentialing for pharmacist prescribing models in Australia.
• Limited transferability of prescribing skills across jurisdictions was observed.
• National accreditation standards and credentialing programs are needed to standardize models and training.