Rapid Responses to:

EDUCATION AND DEBATE: What information do patients need about medicines? BMJ 2003; 327: 861 [Full text]

Rapid Responses: Submit a response to this article

Rapid Responses published:

Concordance don't forget other stakeholders!

marion a waite   (10 October 2003)

Prescribing - the wider picture

Neil O Traynor   (10 October 2003)

Concordance don't forget other stakeholders! 10 October 2003
marion a waite, senior lecturer nurse prescribing First Flor Sandringham House Heritage GateSandy lane west Oxford OX4 6LB Send response to journal: Re: Concordance don't forget other stakeholders!	A themed issue of the BMJ on concordance is applauded. The omission is that prescribing rights have now been extended to other professional groups within the UK such as nurses and pharmacists. Supplementary prescribing potentially includes the whole of the BNF and beyond. I agree with the views of Iona Heath that the concept of concordance is fundamentally flawed because of the power imbalances between health professionals and patients. Any future research into the subject, however has to take account the impact of prescribing by other professional groups and how patients and clients will view these new roles in relation to the conditions being treated. This will add to the global picture of concordance. Competing interests:   None declared
Prescribing - the wider picture 10 October 2003
Neil O Traynor, Health Liaison Worker Princess Royal Trust Salford Carers Centre, M3 6FA Send response to journal: Re: Prescribing - the wider picture	The various articles on prescribing in the current edition of the BMJ omit any mention of another important factor in the taking of prescribed drugs – the carer. The majority of patients on long term medication for a chronic condition will have a family member providing care – and this usually involves maintaining drug regimes for the person they care for. As well as informing the patient about which drugs should be taken, when and why, perhaps the medical profession should also consider sharing this information (confidentiality agreements permitting) with their patient’s carer. If they, too, have a better understanding of the medications, they can enhance their vital role in supporting the practitioner and medical team in the management of the illness or condition. Carers are already performing this role – let’s support them so they can do it properly. Competing interests:   None declared