Navigating the art and science of appropriate prescribing

Prescribing has been practised for a long time throughout history and the symbol ‘Rx’, generally used to denote a prescription, is said to have been around for centuries. Prescribing of medicinal therapy is the most commonly used form of treatment intervention (Lundborg, 1999).

The use of medicinal therapy has grown dramatically as the range of medication used for different diseases has widened. To ensure that patients are getting the maximum benefit from their medicinal therapy, prescribers as well as other health professionals need to conduct appropriate and safe prescribing.

The World Health Organization (WHO) provided a guide to good prescribing (WHO, 1994). The aim was for future prescribers not just to be able to select the right drug, but also to use existing clinical guidelines to achieve rational and appropriate prescribing. Healthcare institutions and regulatory bodies also play a role in ensuring the appropriateness and safety of prescribing.

Prescribing is carried out by different health professionals both independently and as supplementary to medical doctors. As healthcare services became more challenging and medication regimes more complex, the need arises for more non-medical prescribers in the healthcare sector to improve clinical care and enhance desired healthcare outcomes. One of the recent changes in non-medical prescribing is that all Master of Pharmacy graduates in the UK will become independent prescribers upon registration in 2026.