Who can prescribe?
Independent prescribers include doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, optometrists, physiotherapists, podiatrists and chiropodists. Nurse and pharmacist independent prescribers are able to prescribe any medicine for any medical condition within their competence, including any controlled drug. Optometrist Independent Prescribers can prescribe any licensed medicine for ocular conditions affecting the eye and surrounding tissue, but cannot prescribe any controlled drugs.
Physiotherapists and podiatrists or chiropodists can prescribe any licensed medicine provided it falls within their individual area of competence and respective scope of practice as independent prescribers, but cannot prescribe any controlled drugs.
Supplementary prescribing is a partnership between an independent prescriber (a doctor or a dentist) and a supplementary prescriber to implement an agreed Clinical Management Plan for an individual patient with that patient's agreement.
Community practitioners, formerly known as District Nurses and Health Visitors, are able to prescribe independently from a limited formulary comprising a limited range of medicines, dressings and appliances suitable for use in community settings.