6 Type of nurse Can prescribe any licenced / Can Notes prescriber unlicenced medicine prescribe appliances Nurse Independent YES within level of YES Pharmacists, optometrists, Prescriber competence. May also podiatrists, prescribe Schedule 2,3,4 or 5 physiotherapists and controlled drugs (except radiographers may also diamorphine, dipipanone or qualify as independent cocaine for the treatment of prescribers but may be addiction. subject to different Supplementary YES but only as agreed by YES The allied health patient and doctor as part of a professions above may Prescriber patient’s clinical management also qualify as plan. supplementary prescribers May also prescribe Schedule along with diagnostic 2,3,4 or 5 controlled drugs radiographers and (except diamorphine, dieticians These health dipipanone or cocaine for the professionals may be treatment of addiction. subject to different rules. Community NO may only prescribe items YES Community prescribers Practitioner Nurse included in the Nurse are also subject to Prescribers prescribers Formulary for additional restrictions. For Community Practitioners example may only prescribe paracetamol tablets 500mg in quantities up to 100 tablets. Adapted from Dowden, A 2016 Expanding role of nurse prescribing’ Prescriber June ‘The 2016. Patient Directions A long standing framework to support the supply and or administration of medicines using Patient Group Directions (PGD) is also used in the UK, however the use of PGDs is not considered prescribing. PGDs are developed by multidisciplinary teams across organisations to facilitate timely access to medicines including pain relief and antibiotics for specific patient populations in identified circumstances. The RIPEN model may be considered as a similar example in the Australian context. There are two ways in which nurses can prescribe in the UK known as supplementary prescribing and independent prescribing. Evidence in the UK The benefits of nurse prescribing in the UK are frequently reported in the literature. More than a decade after implementation, research highlighted the successful uptake of nurse
6 Type of nurse prescriber Can prescribe any licenced / unlicenced medicine Can prescribe appliances Notes Nurse Independent Prescriber YES within level of competence. May also prescribe Schedule 2,3,4 or 5 controlled drugs (except diamorphine, dipipanone or cocaine for the treatment of addiction. YES Pharmacists, optometrists, podiatrists, physiotherapists and radiographers may also qualify as independent prescribers but may be subject to different Supplementary Prescriber YES but only as agreed by patient and doctor as part of a patient’s clinical management plan. May also prescribe Schedule 2,3,4 or 5 controlled drugs (except diamorphine, dipipanone or cocaine for the treatment of addiction. YES The allied health professions above may also qualify as supplementary prescribers along with diagnostic radiographers and dieticians These health professionals may be subject to different rules. Community Practitioner Nurse Prescribers NO may only prescribe items included in the Nurse prescribers Formulary for Community Practitioners YES Community prescribers are also subject to additional restrictions. For example may only prescribe paracetamol tablets 500mg in quantities up to 100 tablets. Adapted from Dowden, A 2016 ‘The Expanding role of nurse prescribing’ Prescriber June 2016. Patient Directions A long standing framework to support the supply and or administration of medicines using Patient Group Directions (PGD) is also used in the UK, however the use of PGDs is not considered prescribing. PGDs are developed by multidisciplinary teams across organisations to facilitate timely access to medicines including pain relief and antibiotics for specific patient populations in identified circumstances. The RIPEN model may be considered as a similar example in the Australian context. There are two ways in which nurses can prescribe in the UK known as supplementary prescribing and independent prescribing. Evidence in the UK The benefits of nurse prescribing in the UK are frequently reported in the literature. More than a decade after implementation, research highlighted the successful uptake of nurse