Lorenzo Visentin wrote:
>Technically Group Patient Directions only apply to the NHS and even then
>only in England (at least that was the position last year). The
>professional advisory service at UKCC suggest:
>
Thanks for that quick response, Lorenzo.
The Extending Independent Prescribing implementation guide, which can be
downloaded from http://www.doh.gov.uk/nurseprescribing/implementationguide.pdf
refers to groups other than DNs and HVs who, following completion of an ENB
approved course, will be able to prescribe from the Extended Formulary.
Now, while I fully accept that (a)the guide is mostly about the NHS; (b)
many occupational health nurses are happy to remain outside the nurse
prescribing framework; and (c) there is no reference to OH anywhere in
nurse prescribing policy although there is reference to nurses outside the
NHS; there may come a time soon when both the Department of Health and
occupational health nurses in practice may have to consider implications of
nurse prescribing policy for occupational health.
Are occupational nurses to sit back and wait for directives and policy to
be formulated and take the consequences, or are they to start discussing
what may be best for the work force AND safe for the OH practitioner?
Bashyr
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