‘Preparing to Prescribe’, an online implementation toolkit for non-medical prescribers

More than 40,000 nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, optometrists, and therapeutic radiographers are now able to prescribe medicines. There are ongoing plans to extend prescribing rights to other healthcare groups (e.g. paramedics). Non-medical prescribing provides organisations with the ability to improve productivity and quality of patient care. However, there are concerns about support, governance structures and barriers caused by organisational and policy restrictions. In order to accelerate the uptake of non-medical prescribing within services, it is important to improve understanding of the role requirements.

‘Preparing to prescribe’ is a Surrey Implementation toolkit that provides resources for healthcare professionals, non-medical prescribing leads, service and provider organisations, commissioners, and universities to support implementation of non-medical prescribing in practice. The ‘Preparing to prescribe’ toolkit comprises trigger questions, and signposting and links to current guidance. It is designed to support those who wish to become a non-medical prescriber and enhance their knowledge of the role requirements.

The idea to develop the toolkit was inspired by more than a decade of work on non-medical prescribing. A team led by Nicola Carey and Karen Stenner from the School of Health Sciences including NMP leads, educators, researchers and policy makers from the UK, with representation from nursing, pharmacy and allied health professions, who worked together to inform the content and structure.

Primarily designed to be used across the UK, the ‘Preparing to prescribe’ implementation toolkit resources can be used to inform development of non-medical prescribing in other countries. Patients and carers and other medical professionals may also find the toolkit useful.