Department of Health

Website of the Department of Health

Please note that this website has a UK government access keys system.

Supplementary prescribing.

To ease the burden on doctors and improve access to medicines, the Department is training nurses, pharmacists and some Allied Health Professions (AHPs) (physiotherapists, chiropodists/podiatrists and radiographers) so that they can prescribe certain medicines, within agreed Clinical Management Plans.

Scope of Guidance - Position in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The guidance available on this website applies to England only. Although the legislation that permits the extension of prescribing responsibilities applies across the UK, it is for the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to decide whether and how it is implemented for the NHS in their countries. For further information please refer to the following websites:

What's new

1 August 2006

This document describes the mechanisms available for the prescribing, supply and administration of medicines to support the development of new roles or service redesign

July 2005

Optometrists are, from July 2005, able to train to act as supplementary prescribers and to use Level 2 exemptions.

10 May 2005

Supplementary prescribing by nurses, pharmacists, chiropodists/podiatrists, physiotherapists and radiographers within the NHS in England: a guide for implementation - revised edition

14 April 2005: Important changes to regulations

Gateway reference: 4912. Some important changes to the regulations came into effect from 14 April 2005, enabling further expansion of supplementary prescribing.

About supplementary prescribing

Background, definition, legal basis and key principles; the importance of communication between the prescribing partners.

Clinical Management Plans

Scoping study of supplementary prescribing

The Department commissioned the National Prescribing Centre (NPC) to do a scoping study into how supplementary prescribing might work, and what information CMPs would need to include.

Clinical Management Plans (CMPs)

Written or electronic plans for named patients with specific conditions. A CMP must be put in place before supplementary prescribing can happen.

Preparation and training for supplementary prescribers

Training programmes for supplementary prescribers involve at least 26 days of university tuition and 12 days of supervised practice learning.

Supplementary prescribing FAQ

Questions about supplementary prescribers, which medicines they can supply for which conditions, and what training is involved (updated March 2005).

Key publications and documents

Prescribing and supply of medicines by optometrists

Optometrists are, from July 2005, able to train to act as supplementary prescribers and to use Level 2 exemptions.

Supplementary Prescribing by Nurses, Pharmacists, Chiropodists/Podiatrists, Physiotherapists and Radiographers within the NHS in England: a guide for implementation - updated May 2005

This guide for implementation was first produced in 2003 to assist implementation of supplementary prescribing for nurses and pharmacists. Changes to NHS regulations in April 2005 have enabled three other professions, namely chiropodists/podiatrists, physiotherapists and radiographers to be able to train as supplementary prescribers. The Department of Health has therefore taken this opportunity to update the Guide.

Mechanisms for nurse and pharmacist prescribing and supply of medicines

This document describes the mechanisms available for the prescribing, supply and administration of medicines to support the development of new roles or service redesign

Outline curriculum for training programmes to prepare Allied Health Professionals as Supplementary Prescribers - preview edition

This outline curriculum framework currently focuses on supplementary prescribing by Chiropodists/Podiatrists, Physiotherapists and Radiographers - but it is intended that it will be used by other AHPs should prescribing responsibilities be extended to others.

Gifts and benefits from suppliers

This document describes the mechanisms available for the prescribing, supply and administration of medicines to support the development of new roles or service redesign

Extending prescribing responsibilities -supplementary prescribing

This document describes the mechanisms available for the prescribing, supply and administration of medicines to support the development of new roles or service redesign

Access keys