Nurses evolving role

Nurses' Evolving Role: New Communication Challenges And Opportunities For Pharma Co's By Ruder-Finn Pharma International

Nurses have always influenced prescribing - from behind the scenes at least. Now nurses' influence is growing, driven by the world-wide trend towards nurse prescribing, primary care health surveillance clinics and nurse specialists. These changes present the pharmaceutical industry with a new challenge: how to integrate nurses into a marketing mix traditionally focused on physicians. Those companies that fail to meet the challenge may be left behind.

In recent years, nurses' traditional roles have undergone a radical revision with job descriptions in the 90s bearing little resemblance to those of 50 years ago. For example, in many countries, primary care nurses run clinics managing patients with chronic illness, notably asthma, diabetes and hypertension. Nurses are responsible for the day-to-day management of these patients and decide when to alter their treatment regimens.