Scope of Nurse Independent Prescribing

What is independent prescribing?

• · be a 1st level registered nurse or registered midwife
• · have valid registration on the NMC professional register
• · have successfully completed the nurse prescribing preparation, and have a mark against their name in the professional register indicating that they hold this qualification.

• · be capable of study at level 3 (1st degree level)
• · have at least three years post-registration clinical nursing experience (or part-time equivalent); most nominees are likely to be at E Grade or above.
• · have a medical prescriber willing to contribute to the nurse’s 12 day learning in practice element of preparation, and a period of supervised prescribing post-qualification. The medical prescriber will also be required to participate in the assessment process. Full information on the curriculum, and preparatory materials, will be available to these medical prescribers before the course begins.
• · have the agreement of his/her employing organisation to allow attendance and completion of all elements of the prescribing course, the necessary period of supervised prescribing following qualification as a prescriber, and continuing professional development
• · have a commitment from his/her employer to enable access to a prescribing budget and make other necessary arrangements for prescribing practice, on successful completion of the course
• · occupy a post in the employment of an NHS organisation or GP practice in which, because of the nature of the patients seen by the nominee, he/she is likely to be able to prescribe.