Legislation to extend prescribing rights to a wider range of health professionals was announced in the Queen's speech at the opening of Parliament on December 6.
If accepted by Parliament, proposals in a Health and Social Care Bill will amend the Medicines Act 1968 so that Ministers can designate new groups of prescribers and the medicines or classes of medicines that they can prescribe. An advisory body will be created to consider who should be granted prescribing rights and to advise on what conditions or limitations should be applied to new prescribers.