Objective: To review the research literature to date on pharmacist prescribing in the United Kingdom (UK) and to explore the main areas of care and practice settings including any benefits and limitations. Findings: There are two models of pharmacist prescribing in the UK: pharma\cist supplementary prescribing (SP) introduced in 2003, involving a voluntary partnership between the responsible independent prescriber (a physician or a dentist), the supplementary prescriber and the patient, to implement an agreed patient-specific clinical management plan; and pharmacist independent prescribing (IP) introduced in 2006, responsible for the assessment and consequent management, including prescribing of both undiagnosed and diagnosed conditions. There have been narrative reports of pharmacist SP in different health care settings including primary care, community pharmacies, secondary care and at the primary ⁄ secondary care interface; published research within these areas of care is conflicting as to which setting is more suitable for pharmacist prescribing. Initial research reports that almost 50% of pharmacist supplementary prescribers self-reported prescribing with both benefits of and barriers to implementing SP. Research involving other healthcare professionals has indicated that encroachment of traditional roles is likely to occur because of the advent of pharmacist prescribing. A small-scale study has concluded that patients are likely to accept pharmacist prescribing favourably, with another study showing pharmacist prescribing leading to improved adherence to guidelines. There is no published research yet available about practices involving pharmacist IP. Discussion: Most of the literature focuses on pharmacists' perceptions of SP, with little information referring to other stakeholders, including patients. There is also limited published research focusing on clinical and economic outcomes of pharmacist SP. Conclusion: This is a rapidly changing aspect of pharmacy practice in the UK, particularly with the more recent introduction of pharmacist IP. It is likely that this area of research will expand rapidly over the coming years.

Pharmacists feel they have a good knowledge base to prescribe and manage antimicrobial treatment, identifying possible opportunities for intervention. Roles within a multidisciplinary antimicrobial team need to be clearly defined.

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A customised design was negotiated between the evaluators and the NHS trust, and recommendations were made for wider introduction of the initiative, with enhanced planning, an integrated evaluation process and a systematic approach to job redesign.

Scotland has led enactment of the new World Health Organisation (Europe) Family Health Nurse concept. This paper presents research which evaluated the initial operation and impact of the role in remote and rural regions of Scotland. Through use of a multiplex research design informed by ideas from realistic evaluation, fourth generation evaluation and case study research, an initial typology of practice was constructed. The new FHN role typically supplemented, rather than supplanted, pre-existing community nursing services. Implications arising from key findings are discussed in relation to Scottish, UK and European nursing and primary care perspectives.