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The Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has launched a 12-week public consultation on its draft standards for pharmacist prescribers in the country.

The consultation on the seven standards, which were published this month, runs until 5pm on June 11. The PSNI said the standards “set out the regulatory expectations for all pharmacist prescribers on the register”.

The standards, the PSNI added, are designed to “protect patients and the public, support professional judgement across diverse practice settings, promote safe, accountable and evidence-based prescribing and reflect modern models of care, including remote and digital prescribing”.

The PSNI said responses to the consultation from the public, pharmacists, trainees, employers, healthcare professionals and education providers will “inform the final version of the standards”.

The first of the new standards, which will replace the 2013 Standards and Guidance for Pharmacist Prescribers, will ensure pharmacists act in the best interests of patients and put their safety, wellbeing and dignity at the centre of prescribing decisions.

The second standard says pharmacists should prescribe within their scope of practice and competence, the third requires them to use evidence-based clinical judgement and the fourth says they must communicate clearly and collaborate with the patient, carers and relevant healthcare professionals.

The fifth standard says pharmacists must understand and accept their personal accountability and recognise prescribing decisions cannot be delegated while the sixth one urges them to regularly reflect on their prescribing practice using “structured tools, supervision and feedback”.

Standard seven requires pharmacists to act with honesty, integrity and transparency during all prescribing decisions.

“These reforms support a more clinically skilled pharmacy workforce capable of contributing and leading safely and effectively within multidisciplinary teams across an increasing range of care settings,” the PSNI said.