Nurse prescribing and community practitioners

More than 30,000 nurses across the United Kingdom are qualified to prescribe from the Nurse Prescribers' Formulary for Community Practitioners. Approximately 14,000 nurses have become qualified to prescribe as both independent and supplementary prescribers. The numbers of community nurses undertaking independent/supplementary prescribing training and extending their prescribing skills has increased. Prerequisites for nurses wishing to undertake independent/supplementary prescribing training include the ability to study at level3 (degree level), at least three years' experience as a qualified nurse, agreement from a doctor that they will contribute to the 12/13 days' learning in practice, and occupying a post in which they would be expected to prescribe. The 39-day training programme leading to the dual qualification of independent/supplementary prescriber generally runs over 3-6 months, but must be completed within one year. Although the initial implementation of nurse prescribing was slow, changes surrounding prescribing policy have been rapid over recent years. Prescribing is now an extended role for many thousands of nurses, and independent supplementary prescribers have virtually the same prescribing rights as doctors. The many benefits of prescribing as predicted by the Government have been achieved and additional benefits have been reported. A number of benefits have been reported by nurses who prescribe from the Community Practitioners' Formulary. These benefits include time savings and convenience, a belief that patients receive better information from nurses about prescriptions, as well as an increased sense of satisfaction, status and autonomy. However, it is apparent that many of these nurses are not utilising their prescribing skills and this needs further exploration.