The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7158 p109-114
28 July 2001

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Nurses to prescribe 167 more POMs

Trained nurses are to be allowed to prescribe from a list of 167 prescription medicines, under a proposal from the Medicines Control Agency. If accepted, the change is expected to be implemented by the end of the year.

Following a consultation on how nurse prescribing can best be extended (PJ, 4 November 2000, p673), the favoured option is to allow trained nurses to prescribe all pharmacy and general sale list medicines (PJ, 12 May, p636) and any medicines containing a selected list of POM active ingredients.

The proposed list of prescription medicines will allow nurses to prescribe for minor ailments, such as hay fever and acne, for minor injuries, such as burns, cuts and sprains, products used for health promotion purposes, such as vaccines and vitamins, and for palliative care.

In addition, ministers have decided in principle that nurses should be able to prescribe antibiotics. The consultation includes a provisional list of antibiotics and specific indications on which views are sought.

Full details are set out in MLX273 available from the MCA or on the internet at www.mca.gov.uk. Comments can be sent to the MCA to arrive by 9 October.

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