At the risk of having some accuse me of restraint of trade, Im going to make my views known about a recent decision by the DEA to allow certain pharmacists to prescribe controlled substances to patients. Yes, you read that correctly. PHARMACISTS can PRESCRIBE NARCOTICS to patients if they meet certain criteria. (
http://www.pharmacist.com/AM/Templa...mplate=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=25693)
According to news from the American Pharmacist Association, the DEA allows pharmacists in seven states (California, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Washington, and Massachusetts) who work in institutions under a signed Collaborative Drug Therapy Management (CDTM) agreement to prescribe controlled substances and be called registered as mid-level providers with supervising physicians, the same as Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants.
Under the ruling, pharmacists working in hospitals, long-term care facilities, inpatient- or out-patient hospice settings, or ambulatory care clinics would be allowed to prescribe controlled substances if they had this CDTM agreement.
Initially, the DEA refused to grant prescriber numbers to pharmacists. According to proponents, pharmacists who have the ability to prescribe themselves will allow for more timely medication management...instead of waiting for physicians or other providers to actually decide whether or not the medication change is warranted. Really? How long are patients in these settings WAITING? Maybe one needs to look at those issues first.
David Johnson, Executive V.P. Of the Massachusetts Pharmacists Association, was quoted:
CDTM is important for the profession because pharmacists have the knowledge and expertise to effectively manage patients medication regimens and CDTM allows pharmacists to help patients at a new level, Johnson said. He cited pharmacists extensive education and training, which allows them to practice at the same level as nurse practitioners and physicians assistants, who have been able to prescribe for years.
I read this blurb...in blatant DISBELIEF. In fact, my immediate response was, you GOTTA be KIDDING me!!
Are pharmacists educated about DIAGNOSING and MANAGING diseases and co-morbidities? Have they personally assessed and evaluated patients, managed their health and illness, their outcomes to treatment? Have they counseled patients about anything OTHER than medication management?
I understand that they have education about medication physiology, biochemistry, and a whole bunch of other things. However, we have NP and PA colleagues who cannot prescribe narcotics in several states, despite being educated as the REST of us...to do exactly that. I have yet to meet a PharmD who has worked with patients in the same way as we NP/PAs have. Unless their clinical rotations have changed in the past few years, I think this is a HUGE stretch.
I beg to differ with Mr. Johnson, who apparently doesnt have a clue about our educational preparation and training compared to pharmacists. Im all for the idea of CDTM overall.
But please...unless this education actually includes more about patient assessment, evaluation, and all of the meat that goes into our education, leave the PRESCRIBING to those who do it best.
Kim Spering is a family nurse practitioner who currently works at Brndjar Medical Associates, P.C., a family practice in Emmaus, PA. Her past experience includes the fields of medical/surgical ICU, open heart/trauma ICU, labor and delivery, nursing education, nursing supervision, and as a nurse practitioner in both family practice and OB/GYN settings. She currently serves as a NP preceptor for her graduate school alma mater, DeSales University, as well as for local baccalaureate programs. She is passionate about patient education and helping patients understand that they are ultimately responsible for their own health. She also firmly believes that the public needs to be educated on the value of NPs and PAs in meeting the health care needs of the next decade and beyond. In her free time, Kim enjoys family vacations with her optometrist husband, Mark, and her two sons, Matthew and Connor.
Unfortunately all fields of pharmacy is extremely saturated b/c there are too many students being pumped out and not enough jobs out there to support all the new PharmD grads. Retail will be just as competitive b/c it requires NO residency and it paids 6 figures. So it will be just as hard to get. 
