A Pharmacist Clinician Model as part of a collaborative clinical workforce: A philosophical critique

Abstract

The term 'clinician' is not reserved for any healthcare professional group. However, there is a general acceptance that a clinician would have the knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable them to clinically assess and manage a patient autonomously. The expectation, in a modern collaborative healthcare system, is that this work would be completed as a part of a planned and integrated multi-disciplinary care delivery structure, where any given clinician delivers a devolved element of that patient's care. Forthcoming changes to regulation and professional development pathways in the UK will have a profound impact on pharmacist professional identity and practice. From 2026, all new UK pharmacist registrants will have full independent prescribing rights. A paradigm shift is expected to enable the development of a Pharmacist Clinician Model, incorporating pharmaceutical care needs with wider clinical assessment, diagnostic, and clinical management responsibilities. Consideration is given to this model and its implications. Changes to regulation, policy, education, and the governance required to deliver safe and effective pharmacist clinicians are outlined. A philosophical critique on the nature of being a clinician, and the differentiation of pharmacist clinician roles compared to other healthcare professions, is given. A further examination of the projected risks and expected benefits of this transformative practice model are then explored.

Keywords: Autonomy, professional; Clinical skills; Competence, professional; Competency-based education; Pharmacists, clinical; Workforce.