Non-medical prescribing in Northern Ireland

Abstract

The legislative changes needed to introduce non-medical prescribing (NMP) in Northern Ireland (NI) involve both UK wide legislation and NI Regulations. Resultantly, some timing differences exist in the adoption of NMP legislation between GB and NI to allow the devolved administration to adopt relevant legislation locally. This Chapter considers the development of the local legislation in terms of supplementary and independent NMP with respect to pharmacists, nurses, physiotherapists, podiatrists, radiographers and optometrists. A summary of the current prescribing status of each profession in NI is outlined by members of those professions. This highlights the progression of NMP across the professions, with several hundred pharmacists and nurses qualified and registered as NMPs, and the more recent professions to gain prescribing rights, such as optometrists, where fewer than 20 are currently registered as NMPs in NI. However, it is acknowledged that qualification and registration alone are not indicators of NMP activity and benefits and so the key achievements of active prescribers are considered where possible. The Chapter concludes positively with an outline of what the future of NMP in NI may entail for each of those professions.