pharmacist

It is changing slowly but surely to a more clinical role. You should be able to find out more information on the following websites (use google to find them)

- Pharmaceutical Journal
- Chemist and Druggist Magazine
- Pharmacy PLB
- United Kingdom Clinical Pharmacy Association
- Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists
- National Pharmacy Association

Less dispensing, more contact with patients to diagnose minor ailments, undertake pharmaceutical care and medicines managements, and also patient education. We also make more decisions with regards to prescribing and pharmacists can now become prescribers themselves.

This is as brief as I can put it. I still think you should have a look on some of those websites as reading it yourself will make you understand it better so if you need to talk about it with someone professional you'll be more confident, and they will be able to see you know what you talk about.

No, not all pharmacists are prescribers. All pharmacists are able to suggest certain P medicines and some people call this counter prescribing - but it doesn't involve a paper prescription.

You have to do additional training as Gio said. Most pharmacists are likely to become independent prescribers, though this does not allow them to prescribe CDs. Supplementary prescribers may prescribe CDs but only if they are on the list of allowed drugs.