Non-Medical Prescribing in Healthcare Settings
Summary
Non-medical prescribing extends the authority to prescribe medications beyond physicians to include nurses, pharmacists and selected allied health professionals. This model has emerged in response to workforce shortages, rising healthcare demands and the need for more flexible service delivery. Frameworks for non-medical prescribing typically distinguish between independent prescribing, where qualified practitioners assess and prescribe autonomously within their competence, and supplementary prescribing, which operates under a patient-specific clinical management plan agreed with a physician. Globally, legal provisions and educational requirements vary, but the core aim remains consistent: to improve patient access, streamline care pathways and optimise the use of clinical skills. Implementation has been accompanied by robust governance arrangements, interprofessional collaboration agreements and competency-based training, all designed to ensure patient safety and therapeutic efficacy. Evidence suggests that non-medical prescribers can safely manage chronic conditions, expedite minor ailment treatment and contribute to cost containment, while also enhancing job satisfaction for the practitioners involved.
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Non-Medical Prescribing in Healthcare Settings publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in non-medical prescribing in healthcare settings across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Non-medical prescribing: The authorised practice whereby healthcare professionals other than medically qualified doctors prescribe medications within defined legal and professional frameworks.
Independent prescribing: A model in which a qualified non-medical prescriber assesses patients, makes diagnoses and prescribes medications autonomously within their scope of practice.
Supplementary prescribing: A voluntary partnership in which a non-medical prescriber delivers prescriptions according to a patient-specific clinical management plan agreed with a physician.
References
- Physicians’ attitudes towards the development of the nurse prescribing role in critical care and emergency departments. BMC Nursing (2023).
- Experiences of Spanish nurses in the rollout of nurse prescribing: a qualitative study. Frontiers in Public Health (2023).
- Identifying the Enablers and Barriers to Advance Nurse Prescribing of Medication in Spain According to Experts’ Views: A Delphi Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023).
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