Nurse Independent Prescribers in Scotland

Nurse independent prescribers will be able to prescribe any licensed medicine (i.e. products with a UK marketing authorisation) for any medical condition, including some controlled drugs. Nurse independent prescribers must only ever prescribe within their own level of experience and competence, acting in accordance with Clause 6 of the NMC (2002) Code of Professional Conduct.

Supplementary prescribers can prescribe in partnership with a doctor or dentist. Nurse 'supplementary prescribers' are able to prescribe any medicine, including a limited range of Controlled Drugs and unlicensed medicines that are listed in an agreed CMP (clinical management plan). All supplementary prescribers may prescribe for any medical condition, provided that they do so under the terms of a patient-specific CMP which will be drawn up, with the patient's agreement, following diagnosis of the patient, and following consultation and agreement between the doctor and the supplementary prescriber.

Supplementary prescribing may still be the most appropriate mechanism for prescribing in some instances, e.g. where a nurse is newly qualified as a prescriber or where a team approach to prescribing is clearly appropriate, or where a patient's CMP includes certain controlled drugs or unlicensed medicines. The NMC (2006) 9 Practice Standard 8 should be followed by nurse prescribers in such situations.

In future, nurses will be prepared as both 'nurse independent prescribers' and 'supplementary prescribers' (described by the NMC as nurse independent/supplementary prescribers) in the new arrangements. This document refers to this group of practitioners as 'nurse independent prescribers'.