Announced today (10/05/040 and copied for your information



Supplementary prescribers extension 10/05/2004

More health professionals will be able to prescribe medicines under new
plans published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
and the UK Health Departments.T

he proposals for consultation over the next 12 weeks recommend that
physiotherapists, radiographers, chiropodists and optometrists, in
partnership with a doctor, should be able to prescribe medicines.Trained
nurses and pharmacists are already supplementary prescribers. In Scotland,
382 nurses are trained as independent/supplementary prescribers and 160
pharmacists are currently in training to be supplementary prescribers.

Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm said:"It is important that we invest in a
highly trained NHS workforce. Maximising the skills and expertise of
health professionals and allowing them to take on new roles and
responsibilities will bring significant improvements for patients.

"Supplementary prescribing enables a team approach to the care of
patients. It is more convenient for patients, delivering faster care and
also frees up time for doctors to spend with other patients."

Copies of the consultation are available on the Medicines and Healthcare
Products Regulatory Agency website:

http://www.mhra.gov.uk/

Consultation document (MS Word):

http://medicines.mhra.gov.uk/inforesources/publications/mlx305.doc

Consultation document (PDF):

http://medicines.mhra.gov.uk/inforesources/publications/mlx305.pdf

Supplementary prescribing is a voluntary partnership between a doctor or
dentist (the independent prescriber) and another health professional,
currently a nurse or pharmacist, to prescribe medicines under a patient-
specific Clinical Management Plan. Arrangements have to be agreed with the
patient. The supplementary prescriber is able to adjust the dosage,
frequency and formulation of the medicines within the limits set by the
Clinical Management Plan.

Supplementary prescribers have to successfully complete a period of
training – carefully designed to ensure patient safety. Supplementary
prescribing arrangements were introduced in April 2003. The proposals stem
from the recommendations of the UK Review of Prescribing, Supply and
Administration of Medicines, which reported in 1999. The Review looked at
ways of making greater use of the skills and experience of the different
professionals working in the NHS.





Regards


Stephen Moore

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