Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33051229›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2020

Prescribing trends over time by non-medical independent prescribers in primary care settings across Wales (2011-2018): a secondary database analysis.

Saeed Saad A Alghamdi, Karen Hodson, Paul Deslandes, David Gillespie, Kath Haines, Elliott Hulme, Molly Courtenay, Rhian Deslandes

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. The Rise of Independent Prescribing by Optometrists in Wales 2020-2024: Number of Practices, Drugs and Costs.Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists) · 2026
    Article
  4. A model-based cost-effectiveness analysis of prescribing by dietitians and therapeutic radiographers in England.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Saeed Saad A AlghamdiSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK alghamdiss@cardiff.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-7144-7016
Karen HodsonSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Paul DeslandesAll Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre, Academic Centre, University Hospital Llandough, Cardiff, UK.
David GillespieCentre for Trials Research, University of Cardiff, Cardiff, UK.
Kath HainesAll Wales Therapeutics and Toxicology Centre, Academic Centre, University Hospital Llandough, Cardiff, UK.
Elliott HulmeSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Molly CourtenaySchool of Healthcare Sciences, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Rhian DeslandesSchool of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAs of 2015, as part of the implementation of the Welsh Government primary care plan and primary care clusters, the Welsh Government has encouraged non-medical healthcare professionals working in primary care to train as independent prescribers (IPs).

objectivesThis research aimed to identify the number of NMIPs in primary care in Wales and describe their prescribing trend of items between 2011 and 2018, in order to compare their prescribing pattern before and after the implementation of primary care clusters for Wales.

designRetrospective secondary data analysis and interrupted time series analysis in order to compare prescribing by non-medical independent prescribers (NMIPs) preimplementation and postimplementation of primary care clusters across Wales.

resultsOver the study period, 600 NMIPs (nurses n=474 and pharmacists n=104) had prescribed at least one item. The number of nurse IPs increased by 108% and pharmacists by 325% (pharmacists had the largest increase between July 2015 and March 2018). The number of items prescribed by NMIPs increased over time by an average of 1380 per month (95% CI 904 to 1855, p<0.001) after the implementation of primary care clusters compared with 496 (95% CI 445 to 548, p<0.001) prior its implementation. Approximately one-third of the items prescribed by NMIPs was within Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (HB) with only 4% in Powys Teaching HB.

conclusionThe number of NMIPs and their volume of prescribing in primary care in Wales has increased following the implementation of primary care clusters in 2015. This suggests that the Government's recommendations of using NMIPs in primary care have been implemented. Future studies should focus on efficiency and quality of prescribing by NMIPs in primary care.

Indexed as

Drug PrescriptionsPrimary Health CareHumansPharmacistsRetrospective StudiesWalesprimary care

Identifiers

PMID33051229
PMCPMC7554451

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.