So physiotherapists are going to be given the authority to prescribe drugs (once they have undergone training, more often than not by the drug companies themselves!!).
It just highlights the conveyor belt system we have for MSK problems in this country. Get them in, give them 15 to 20 min and get them out. The amount of physiotherapists now undertaking sports massage and therapy courses grows every month, because they are aware that when it comes to dealing with MSK problems, a lot of what they do is ineffective. Generic exercises dont work.
Instead of prescribing pain killers and anti-inflammatories, what needs to happen is that instead of the £30k plus that is spent on each physios training, by the NHS, at tax-payers expense, only for them to face a profession where there is no work, being spent on new students; they need to train current physios in manual therapy skills, and not just 4 hours of massage over 3 years, they need a good solid foundation in it, re-train them, get them doing effective MSK treatments, and get the country pain free that way.
They need a couple of years without any physio training whatsoever, to give unemployed physios the chance to get a job in the profession we paid for them to train for!
My thoughts exactly. As soon as I read this I thought here we go a prescription to add to the piece of paper with exercises!
Apologies to those who do treat more with hands on treatments and I am only speaking of my experience and direct feedback from others.
A prescription is not going to get to the bottom of an individual's problem only mask it surely.
Has this been done to allow physios to administer cortisone injections instead of having to refer back to gp/consultant?
Has this been done to allow physios to administer cortisone injections instead of having to refer back to gp/consultant?
no just anti inflammatories and pain relief I suspect, so they domt have to get their hands dirty
Injections & Prescibing
Much of this has been set up so that Physiotherapist's working in specific NHS areas can prescribe and administer drugs rather than the Doctor having to be called in to do it.
This makes a great deal of sense where Physiotherapists are working in key areas requiring drug therapy.
Just a few examples Respiratory, Pain Management, Palliative Care, Oncology Care, Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and many others.
Its not going to be across the board and Physiotherapists have to already be working in the key areas to be able to train to be prescribers. However this is a great step forward for healthcare in the community and the profession and its long overdue.
Its very doubtful that large numbers of Physiotherapists will start training in injection therapy and prescribing. The Physiotherapist already has to be working as extended scope practitioners in quite a narrow field and usually in an NHS clinic to take up on this role.
Plus there are thousands of professional Physiotherapist's with no interest in prescribing or using drugs who want to work holistically and 'drug free'.
In the NHS its often both a cost cutting exercise and also a logistics one.
Lets say someone out in the community or on a ward in severe pain or severe breathlessness needs a change to their drugs to help them feel better. In theory this change will mean that the Physiotherapist will be able to change their drug dosage if required and not have to wait for an on duty Doctor to come and write up for different medication.
This needs to be viewed in the whole spectrum of specialism that a Physiotherapist can work and not just routine MSK
Non medical prescribers include nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and chiropdists, It makes sense for appropriately trained physios to be able to prescribe certain medicines,. ALL non medical prescribers need to undergo extra training - and not everyone who could do, will want the responsibility....and it is a a responsibility.
yes its truely to get prescribed from physiotherapists. One should get suggestion from them.
Even personally I had some problem relating to muscles. I had consulted one of the physiotherapists. It helped me a lot.
I would like to state that do consult physiotherapists if any problem is there. Prescribed by therapists is necessary.