Background
Country | Legal Framework for Non-medical prescribing (NMP) |
---|---|
Australia | The Drugs Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 and Nurses Act 1993 (Vic) amended with Nurse Amendment Act 2000*. |
Botswana | The Drugs and Related Substances Act 1992 grants legal authority to RGN to prescribe specific drugs from Botswana National Drug Formulary***. |
Canada | The College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia Regulations (Section 27, 2002), approved by government, enabled NPs to prescribe from a restricted list of medications known as the Authorized Practices Schedule*. |
Kenya | Public Health Act Cap 242 of the laws of Kenya allows nurses to diagnose and treat minor illnesses in settings without doctors *. |
New Zealand | A 2001 regulation under the Medicines Act 1981 enables nurse practitioners to become designated prescribers within their defined area of practice (e.g., primary health)*. |
Namibia | Under Nursing Act (8) 2004 in Namibia Nurse Prescribers are allowed to prescribe up to Schedule 4 medicines once they have concluded a primary care training course from the Department of Health***. |
Republic of Ireland | Introduced in 2007. The Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2006 (No. 3 of 2006) and its associated regulations and the Nurses Rules 2007 [3]. |
South Africa | The Section 38A of the Nursing Act, 1978 give rights to nurses to prescribe certain classes of medicine. The 38A section of Nursing Act no longer exists and Act 101 of the Medicines and Related Control Act 1965 amended in 1997 allows to nurses to become an authorised prescriber*. |
Sweden | Introduced in 1994. District Nurses may prescribe from a National Board of Health and Welfare *. |
Uganda | National Drug Policy and Authority Statute 1993 was amended in 2004, which allows nurses to prescribe***. |
United Kingdom (UK) | The Medicinal Products: Prescription by Nurses etc Act 1992, The Health and Social Care Act 2001**. |
United States of America (USA) | Nurse Prescribing (NP) introduced in 1969. Fifty States allow some form of NMP. However, there is no uniformity in law, language and regulations among States*. |
In addition we are aware that NPM legislation exists in Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Swaziland, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Ghana, Lesotho and Ethiopia****, but were unable to identify the specific legislative documents. |
Methods
Inclusion criteria
-
Study contains empirical evidence of NMP from any professional group with legislative authority
-
Study contains empirical evidence of outcomes
-
Setting: primary care and community
-
Search period: January 1970 - December 2010 for the USA and October 1994 - December 2010 for the UK and other countries. These timeframes reflect the years when non-medical prescribing was introduced in these countries.
Exclusion criteria
-
Studies that did not meet inclusion criteria above
-
Commentaries, editorials, opinions, guidelines and service audits
-
Papers that did not report the research design or methods used
Results
Complete reference | Country |
---|---|
Latter S, Blenkinsopp, A., Smith, A., Chapman, S., Tinelli, M., Gerard, K., Little, P., Celino, N., Granby, T., Nicholls, P., Dorer, G.: Evaluation of nurse and pharmacist independent prescribing. London: University of Southampton & Keele University; 2010 [26]. | UK |
Hoti K, Sunderland B, Hughes J, Parsons R: An evaluation of Australian pharmacist's attitudes on expanding their prescribing role. Pharmacy World & Science: PWS 2010, 32(5):610-621 [27]. | Australia |
Hacking S, and Taylor, J: An evaluation of the scope and practice of non-medical prescribing in the North West for NHS North West. Lancashire: School of Nursing & Caring Sciences, University of Central Lancashire 2010 [28]. | UK |
Hobson RJ, Scott J, Sutton J: Pharmacists and nurses as independent prescribers: exploring the patient's perspective. Family Practice 2009, 27(1):110-120 [29]. | UK |
Drennan J. NC, Allen D., Hyde A., Felle P., O'Boyle K., Treacy P., Butler M.: Independent Evaluation of the Nurse and Midwife Prescribing Initiative. Dublin: University College Dublin; 2009 [3]. | Republic of Ireland |
Courtenay M, Stenner K, Carey N: An exploration of the practices of nurse prescribers who care for people with diabetes: a case study. J Nursing & Healthcare of Chronic Illness 2009, 1(4):311-320 [30]. | UK |
Dunn SV, Cashin A, Buckley T, Newman C: Nurse practitioner prescribing practice in Australia. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 2008, 22(3):150-155 [31]. | Australia |
Courtenay M, Carey N: Nurse independent prescribing and nurse supplementary prescribing practice: national survey. Journal of Advanced Nursing 2008, 61(3):291-299 [32]. | UK |
Courtenay M, Carey N: Preparing nurses to prescribe medicines for patients with diabetes: a national questionnaire survey. Journal of Advanced Nursing 2008, 61(4):403-412 [33]. | UK |
Cooper R, Anderson C, Avery T, Bissell P, Guillaume L, Hutchinson A, Lymn J, Murphy E, Ratcliffe J, Ward P: Stakeholders' views of UK nurse and pharmacist supplementary prescribing. Journal of Health Services Research & Policy 2008, 13(4):215-221 [34]. | UK |
Bissell P, Cooper, R., Guillaume, L., Anderson, C., Avery, A., Hutchinson, A., James, V., Lymn, J., Marsden, E., Murphy, E., Ratcliffe, J., Ward, P., and Woolsey, I: An Evaluation of Supplementary Prescribing in Nursing and Pharmacy. London: Department of Health 2008 [35]. | UK |
Latter S, Maben J, Myall M, Young A, Baileff A: Focus. Evaluating prescribing competencies and standards used in nurse independent prescribers' prescribing consultations: an observation study of practice in England. Journal of Research in Nursing 2007, 12(1):7-28 [36]. | UK |
Latter S, Maben J, Myall M, Young A: Evaluating the clinical appropriateness of nurses' prescribing practice: method development and findings from an expert panel analysis. Quality & Safety in Health Care 2007, 16(6):415-421 [37]. | UK |
Courtenay M, Carey N, Burke J: Independent extended and supplementary nurse prescribing practice in the UK: a national questionnaire survey. International Journal Of Nursing Studies 2007, 44(7):1093-1101 [38]. | UK |
George J, McCaig DJ, Bond CM, Cunningham ITS, Diack HL, Watson AM, Stewart DC: Supplementary prescribing: early experiences of pharmacists in Great Britain. The Annals Of Pharmacotherapy 2006, 40(10):1843-1850 [39]. | UK |
Flenniken MC: Psychotropic prescriptive patterns among nurse practitioners in nonpsychiatric settings. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners 1997, 9(3):117-121 [40]. | USA |
Batey MV, Holland JM: Prescribing practices among nurse practitioners in adult and family health. American Journal of Public Health 1985, 75(3):258-262 [41]. | USA |
Country | No. Of papers | Nurses | Pharmacists |
---|---|---|---|
UK | 11 | X | |
02 | X | ||
USA | 01 | X | |
Canada | 01 | X | |
Botswana | 01 | X | |
Zimbabwe | 01 | X |