Nurse Prescribing/Non-Medical Prescribers
Nurses, Midwives, Pharmacists and other allied healthcare professionals (AHPs) who have completed an accredited prescribing course and registered their qualification with their regulatory body, can prescribe as Non-medical Prescribers.
There are two types within Vision 3:
- Community Practitioner Nurse Prescribers - Usually including, but not restricted to:
- District Nurses
- Public Health Nurses (previously Health Visitors)
- Community Nurses
- School Nurses
Community Practioners can prescribe from the Nurse Prescribers Formulary for Community Practitioners, known in Vision 3 as the Nurse Formulary.
- Independent/Supplementary Prescribers - You do not need to select a nursing formulary as Independent/Supplementary Prescribers can prescribe any drug depending on the country you are in.
The following differences apply to each country:
England
-
Independent/Supplementary Prescribers - Supplementary and independent prescribers are not differentiated in England.
- Stationery - Non-medical Prescriber prescriptions print on FP10SS stationery.
-
Installment Dispensing - Non-medical Prescribers can print Batch Repeat Prescriptions, see Instalment Prescribing for details.
-
Private CD Scripts for Independent Prescribers - Providing a PCD code (format 6AAAAA, for example 6ABCDE) is entered in Control Panel - File Maintenance - Staff - [nurse] - Edit user - Identifiers Add, Independent Prescribers can print private controlled drug prescriptions.
Therapy Function
Community Practitioner Nurse Prescriber
Independent/Supplementary
Prescriber
Create Prescription under own name
Yes
Yes
Print Prescription under own name
Yes
Yes
Create Private Prescription under own name
No
Yes
Print Private Prescription under own name
No
Yes
Installment Dispensing
Yes
Yes
Print Controlled Drugs under own name
Yes
Yes
Private CD
No
Yes
Scotland
- Independent/Supplementary Prescribers - Supplementary and independent prescribers are not differentiated in Scotland.
- Stationery - Non-medical Prescribers prescriptions print on GP10NSS stationery.
- Installment Dispensing - Not enabled in Scotland.
-
Controlled Drugs:
- Independent/Supplementary Prescribers can prescribe controlled drugs and print them under their own name.
-
Independent/Supplementary Prescribers cannot issue private controlled drug prescriptions.
Therapy Function
Community Practitioner Nurse Prescriber
Independent/Supplementary Prescriber
Create Prescription under own name
Yes
Yes
Print Prescription under own name
Yes
Yes
Create Private Prescription under own name
Yes
Yes
Print Private Prescription under own name
Yes
Yes
Installment
Dispensing
No
No
Print Controlled Drugs under own name
Yes
Yes
Private CD
No
No
Wales
- Independent/Supplementary Prescribers - Supplementary and independent prescribers are differentiated in Wales:
Supplementary prescribers can only prescribe in partnership with a doctor or dentist. Supplementary prescribers may prescribe:
- for any medical condition, provided they are acting in accordance with an agreed individual patient’s Clinical Management Plan (CMP)
- any medicine (licensed or unlicensed) including Controlled Drugs
The doctor, or dentist, is responsible for the diagnosis and setting the parameters of the CMP.
The following professionals can practice as supplementary prescribers providing they are qualified and registered to do so:
- Registered nurses
- Registered midwives
- Registered specialist community public health nurses
- Registered pharmacists
- Registered chiropodists and podiatrists
- Registered physiotherapists
- Registered radiographers, diagnostic or therapeutic
- Registered optometrists.
Supplementary prescribers in Wales must have a HSW registration number in addition to the Prescribing Number.
To enter the HSW registration number:
- From Control Panel - File Maintenance - Staff, select the Supplementary Prescriber.
- Select Edit.
- Select the Identifiers tab and complete as follows:
- Identifier Type - Select HSW Registration Number.
- Identifier Value - Enter the HSW Registration Number, the format for which is S followed by six digits.
Note - The first time a Supplementary Prescriber prints, they are prompted to set the Nurse/SP print profile.
Independent prescribers (currently nurse/pharmacist independent prescribers) may prescribe for any medical condition within their area of competence, providing the medicines are licensed.
At time of publication of this guidance nurse independent prescribers can prescribe a limited range of controlled drugs listed in Part XVIIB(ii) Drug Tariff.
Pharmacists independent prescribers cannot prescribe Controlled Drugs, although Community Pharmacists may sell Schedule 5 Controlled Drugs.
In order to issue private controlled drug prescriptions, a valid IPC code must be entered in Control Panel - File Maintenance - Staff - Identifiers - Add.
- Stationery - Non-medical Prescribers prescriptions print on GP stationery.
- Private Prescriptions - Independent prescribers can issue private prescriptions under their own name.
- Installment Dispensing - Independent Prescribers can issue batch prescriptions.
-
Controlled Drugs:
- Independent Prescribers can prescribe controlled drugs.
-
Independent Prescribers can issue private controlled drug prescriptions providing their IPC code (format PNNNNNN, for example, P123456) has been entered in Control Panel - File Maintenance - Staff - [nurse] - Edit user - Identifiers Add.
Therapy Function
Community Practitioner Nurse Prescriber
Independent Prescriber
Create Prescription under own name
No
Y
Print Prescription under own name
No
Y
Create Private Prescription under own name
Y
Y
Print Private Prescription under own name
Y
Y
Repeat Dispensing
No
Y
Print Controlled Drugs under own name
No
Y
Private CD
No
Y
2D Barcode
No
Y
Northern Ireland
- Stationery - Non-medical Prescribers prescriptions print on GP stationery with the following:
A banner at the top of the drug items section displays as either Community Practitioner Nurse Prescriber, or Nurse Independent Supplementary Prescriber.
The prescribers's 4 digit cipher code prints on the right-hand side of the form.
The prescribers's title, initials and surname prints under the stamp together with the practice address and postcode, if employed by the practice, or the Trust name, address and postcode, if employed by the Trust.
The 2D barcode prints.
The name of the senior partner displays on the prescriptions.
- The prescribing number codes overprint on nurse and supplementary prescriber prescriptions.
- Private Prescriptions - Independent/Supplementary prescribers can issue private prescriptions.
- Installment Dispensing - Community Practitioner Nurse Prescribers and Independent/Supplementary Prescribers can issue Batch Repeat Prescriptions.
- Controlled Drugs - Independent/Supplementary prescribers can print private controlled drug prescriptions. Note - This does not include Pharmacist Prescribers who are not permitted to prescribe any controlled drug.
Therapy Function
Community Practitioner Nurse Prescriber
Nurse Supplementary Prescriber
Nurse Independent/ Supplementary Prescriber
Pharmacist Supplementary Prescriber
Pharmacist Independent Prescriber
Create Prescription under own name
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Print Prescription under own name
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Create Private Prescription under own name
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Print Private Prescription under own name
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Repeat Dispensing
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Print Controlled Drugs under own name
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Private CD
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
in the top right corner and follow the on-screen prompts.
