Nurse and pharmacist independent prescribing

From 1 May 2006, Nurse Independent Prescribers who have completed the appropriate training can prescribe any licensed medicine for any medical condition within their competence including some controlled drugs.  The Department of Health link below contains frequently asked questions about nurse independent prescribing.

Department of health Nurse prescribing FAQ (external link)

Community Practice Nurses (formerly District Nurses and Health Visitors) will continue to use the Nurse Prescribers’ Formulary for Community Practitioners. 

Also, from 1 May, a new category of prescriber, the Pharmacist Independent Prescriber, was introduced.  Once qualified, they will be able to prescribe any licensed medicine for any medical condition within their competence except for controlled drugs.  Frequently asked questions about pharmacist independent prescribing are contained in the link below. 

Department of Health Pharmacist independent prescribing FAQ (external link)

Contact for further information
For further information on this part of our site, please contact our Sale and Supply section, MHRA, 151 Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria, London, SW1W 9SZ, telephone 020 3080 6392 or e-mail info@mhra.gsi.gov.uk


Page last modified: 10 September 2005