Historical Context of NMP
Following the introduction of the necessary legislation in 1992 and 1994, nurse prescribing for District Nurses (DNs) and Health Visitors (HVs) was first piloted in eight GP fund-holding practices in 1994. It was expanded to a whole district community NHS Trust in 1996 and to a further community Trust in each of the seven remaining regions in 1997. Following this successful pilot, Ministers agreed that prescribing for DNs and HVs could be expanded throughout the UK.
A 3 month consultation began in October 2000 with nursing, medical and pharmacy professional organisations. Following this, in May 2001 Ministers announced that nurse prescribing would be extended to more nurses and a wider range of medicines.
To further benefit the NHS and patients, the introduction of supplementary prescribing by nurses and pharmacists, following diagnosis by a doctor was also to be considered. In late 2002, the recommendations from a series of informal consultation meetings on supplementary prescribing with representatives of the medical, pharmacy and nursing professions and a formal joint consultation by the Department of Health and Medicines Control Agency were accepted, to allow supplementary prescribing by suitably trained nurses and pharmacists. This was extended to include supplementary Prescribing of Controlled Drugs in March 2005.
Following consultation, also in 2005, specified Allied Health Professionals i.e. Physiotherapists, Podiatrists and Radiographers, were granted prescribing rights to become supplementary prescribers.
Following a further consultation, from May 1st 2006 nurses previously prescribing from the Extended Independent Nurses Formulary may now prescribe from the full BNF (with the exception of some Controlled Drugs) and their title has been changed to Nurse Independent Prescriber (NIP).
From autumn 2006 Pharmacists are now able to prescribe independently from the full BNF (although they are not able to prescribe any Controlled Drugs) and their title has been changed to Pharmacist Independent Prescribers (PIP). For Pharmacists who had been previously qualified as Supplementary prescribers have had to undertake ‘top-up’ days or ‘conversion’ in conjunction with either the HEI where they originally obtained their qualification or an alternative provider.
From June 2008, Optometrists can Independantly prescribe any licensed medicine for ocular conditions (but not controlled drugs).
From December 2009 Independent prescribers have been able to prescribe unlicensed medicines and direct other to mix medicines.
Some time ago consultation to widen the prescribing of Controlled Drugs by Independent Nurse and Pharmacist prescribers has been undertaken and we await legislative changes.
More recently consultation to allow Ambulance paramedics to become prescribers has been undertaken and we await further news.
Recent consultation regarding widening Podiatrist and Physiotherapist prescribing to Independent status has also taken place and we also await further news. North West response.
15/09/2011