The Global Expansion of Pharmacist Prescribing: A Comprehensive Review of Impacts on Healthcare Access, Patient Outcomes, and System Efficiency – Including the Indian Context

Shivam dixit , Neha rawat , Shikha Jaiswal , Madhu Verma , Sangeeta K

Pharmacist prescribing, non-medical prescribing, task-shifting, health systems strengthening, healthcare access, India, chronic disease management, antimicrobial stewardship

The global healthcare landscape is evolving to address workforce shortages, access inequities, and rising costs through task-shifting, including the expansion of prescribing authority to pharmacists. This comprehensive review synthesizes global evidence on the impact of pharmacist prescribing on healthcare access, patient outcomes, and system efficiency, and critically analyses the potential for its implementation in India. A narrative review of literature from 2000-2024 was conducted, drawing on peer-reviewed articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, government reports, and policy documents from established models (e.g., UK, Canada, USA, Australia) and the Indian context. Results: Robust evidence from high-income countries indicates pharmacist prescribing improves geographic and temporal access to care, particularly for minor ailments and chronic disease management. Patient outcomes in diabetes, hypertension, and antimicrobial stewardship are equivalent or superior to standard care, while system efficiency improves through workload redistribution and cost savings (e.g., 5-28% reduction in hospitalization costs in chronic disease models). In India, a severe doctor-patient ratio (1:1454), a vast pharmacy network (~1.3 million outlets), and a growing burden of noncommunicable diseases present a compelling case for reform. However, significant barriers include an outdated regulatory framework (Pharmacy Act, 1948), clinically limited pharmacy education, and lack of formalized interprofessional collaboration. Pharmacist prescribing is a safe, effective, and efficient component of modern healthcare teams globally. For India, its adoption represents a strategic opportunity to leverage an underutilized workforce. Success requires a phased, multi-stakeholder approach encompassing legislative reform, transformative education, pilot programs with defined scopes of practice, and integration within digital health infrastructures like the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission.

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"The Global Expansion of Pharmacist Prescribing: A Comprehensive Review of Impacts on Healthcare Access, Patient Outcomes, and System Efficiency – Including the Indian Context", IJSDR - International Journal of Scientific Development and Research (www.IJSDR.org), ISSN:2455-2631, Vol.11, Issue 1, page no.a442-a450, January-2026, Available :https://ijsdr.org/papers/IJSDR2601045.pdf

Volume 11 Issue 1, January-2026

Pages : a442-a450

Paper Reg. ID: IJSDR_306822

Published Paper Id: IJSDR2601045

Downloads: 000331

Research Area: Pharmacy All

Country: Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, India

Published Paper PDF: https://ijsdr.org/papers/IJSDR2601045

Published Paper URL: https://ijsdr.org/viewpaperforall?paper=IJSDR2601045

ISSN: 2455-2631 | IMPACT FACTOR: 9.15 Calculated By Google Scholar | ESTD YEAR: 2016

An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 9.15 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator

Publisher: IJSDR(IJ Publication) Janvi Wave

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License and The Open Definition