Non-Medical Prescribing

Non-medical prescribing gives patients quicker access to medicines, improves access to services and makes better use of nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals’ skills.

There are two types of non-medical prescribing.

Supplementary prescribing

Supplementary prescribing is a voluntary partnership between an independent prescriber (a doctor or dentist) and a supplementary prescriber to implement an agreed patient-specific Clinical Management Plan with the patient’s agreement.

Supplementary prescribers are suitably qualified health professionals who are able to prescribe any medicine (including controlled drugs), within the framework of a patient-specific clinical management plan, agreed with a doctor.

Nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, chiropodists/podiatrists, radiographers and optometrists are able to qualify and register as supplementary prescribers.
Independent Prescribing

Independent prescribing is prescribing by a practitioner responsible and accountable for the assessment of patients with undiagnosed conditions and for decisions about clinical management required, including prescribing.

Since 1 May 2006, nurses and pharmacists have been able to qualify and register as independent prescribers.

Qualified Nurse Independent Prescribers are able to prescribe any licensed medicine for any medical condition within their competence, including some controlled drugs.

Qualified Pharmacist Independent Prescribers are able to prescribe any licensed medicine for any medical condition within their competence, with the exception of Controlled Drugs.

It is expected that nurse and pharmacist independent prescribers will work within their specialism and that no nurse or pharmacist will prescribe all medicines.

On 28th August 2007 The Department of Health issued a press release announcing that optometrists will be able to train to prescribe medicines as independent precsribers. The proposed changes would apply throughout the United Kingdom in both the NHS and the independent and voluntary sectors and Optometrists' prescribing practice will be informed by guidelines from the College of Optometrists. Download Press Release (MS Word 26 KB)

The following documents provide information and guidance relating to non-medical prescribing in Northern Ireland.

Useful reference links for prescribers.