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The Non-Medical Prescribing Programme
The non-medical prescribing programme gives patients quicker access to medicines, improves access to services and makes better use of nurses’ and other health professionals’ skills.
What's new
30 June 2008: Updated list of non-medical prescribing leads in SHAs
1 May 2008: Making the connections: using healthcare professionals to deliver organisational improvements
Nurse and pharmacist prescribing is a valuable tool to deliver patient care in a variety of settings. To help the NHS to understand how Non-Medical Prescribing can help to deliver services, the Department of Health commissioned Primary Care Contracting to produce 6 Nurse Prescribing and 6 Pharmacist Prescribing case studies
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:
Background to non-medical prescribing
Published: 10/11/2005
Overview of the extension of independent non-medical prescribing to nurses and allied health professionals. Gateway reference: 5789
Nurse Independent Prescribing
From 1 May 2006, qualified Nurse Independent Prescribers (formerly known as Extended Formulary Nurse Prescribers) are now able to prescribe any licensed medicine for any medical condition within their competence, including some Controlled Drugs.
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. Please see the GOC Handbook for the accreditation of therapeutic programmes / assessment for optometrists.
Pharmacist independent prescribing
From 1 May 2006, a new category of prescriber - the "Pharmacist Independent Prescriber" was created. Once qualified, Pharmacist Independent Prescribers will be able to prescribe any licensed medicine for any medical condition within their competence, with the exception of Controlled Drugs.
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.
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