Pharmacists describe what prescribers do because they, the pharmacist, do not know why the prescriber does it. The pharmacist therefore relies on what actually the prescriber does as a yardstick for good practice. Of course, such a process would be acceptable were all prescribers sufficiently knowledgeable, sensible and logical to do what is best for the patient at all times. But they are not. Nothing clinical, at least.
Managers can manage and technicians can dispense.
By saying this, they implicitly include themselves in therapeutic decision making. Perhaps they even apply some evidence-based medicine mixed with their own clinical experience. Let us all stop repeating these glib prefixes. But before that, perhaps we should first make sure that we are indeed experts. David M. Taylor, Chief Pharmacist, Bethlem and Maudsley NHS Trust and Honorary Lecturer, Institute of Psychiatry.