The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7247 p608
3 May 2003

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Related websites
Consultation letter MLX 293 (more, Microsoft Word document)
Implementing a scheme for GPs and nurses with special interests (more, PDF (360K))
Practitioners with a Special Interest (www.gpwsi.org)

Extension of nurse prescribing to include Controlled Drugs for pain

Nurse prescribers will be allowed to prescribe Controlled Drugs for pain relief in palliative care under proposals issued by the Department of Health. They will also be allowed to prescribe outside the licensed indications in palliative care.

A major extension to the range of items which can be prescribed by suitably qualified nurses is proposed in consultation letter MLX 293, issued by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the Department on 30 April. As well as palliative care, nurses will also be able to prescribe parenteral diamorphine for pain relief in midwifery practice or for suspected myocardial infarction in coronary care units.

Emergency treatments for acute attacks of asthma, including salbutamol, terbutaline and prednisolone, and glucagon and glucose injections for hypoglycaemia will also be added to the nurse prescribers extended formulary through changes to the POM Order.

The areas for which nurses can prescribe will be extended to cover animal and human bites, Trichomonas vaginalis infection, laboratory confirmed uncomplicated genital chlamydia infection (for patients and their partners), menopausal vaginal atrophy and symptoms of the menopause.

In addition, comment is sought on proposals to clarify the position of hospital pharmacies in supplying medicines against prescriptions written by nurse prescribers.

Consultation on the proposals in MLX 293 runs until 23 July.

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