A comparison of community pharmacists' and general practitioners' opinions on rational prescribing, formularies and other prescribing related issues.

A postal survey of Community Pharmacists (CPs) and General Medical Practitioners (GPs) in the Enfield and Haringey (E&H) and North Yorkshire (N Yorks) Family Health Services Authority (FHSA) areas was carried out to investigate: a. their opinions regarding clinically oriented 'extended' roles for CPs, and the possibility of interprofessional collaboration on them, and b. their views on a range of prescribing related issues. The overall response rate was 67% for CPs and 42% for GPs. There were no significant differences in responses to questions between CPs in both FHSAs, but significant differences in answers to some questions between the two groups of GPs, due to a large proportion of dispensing GPs in N Yorks. Results were therefore expressed as comparisons between total numbers of CPs and GPs, and between dispensing and non-dispensing GPs. The results showed an affinity of outlook between CPs and GPs on a range of prescribing related issues, and considerable goodwill between the two groups on which future cooperation could be founded. GPs were, however, significantly less enthusiastic than CPs about collaboration in areas which would concede a role to CPs in making prescribing decisions. GPs were most favorably disposed to collaboration in areas such as the provision of drug information, which could be considered as within GPs' domain of specialist expertise.