Non-medical prescribing (NMP) is a practice that allows healthcare professionals other than doctors to prescribe medications. This practice has been implemented in various countries, including the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (USA), to improve patient care and access to medicines. However, the training and regulations for NMP differ significantly between these two countries.
In the UK, NMP is a well-established practice with a structured training program. The training is shared between nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals. The program comprises 27 days in the classroom and 12 days of supervised practice with a designated medical practitioner. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has created a Prescribing Competency Framework for all prescribers, which is designed to help maintain prescribing standards and inform education curricula. On successful completion of the course, healthcare professionals are eligible to apply to register as an Independent and Supplementary Non-medical Prescriber with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and as such be able to prescribe from the British National Formulary within their scope of practice.
A key part of this training in the UK is the V300 course. This specialized training program prepares suitably qualified registrants from the NMC or HCPC to become safe and competent non-medical prescribers. The course includes both classroom learning and supervised practice, with a focus on meeting the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Competency Framework for Prescribers. Upon successful completion of the course, registrants are eligible to be recorded as an independent/supplementary prescriber.
For more information on non-medical prescribing in the UK, I highly recommend checking out the article titled “Non-medical Prescribing in the United Kingdom” on the Practitioner Development UK Ltd website. This resource provides a look at the process, the professionals involved, the additional training required, and the legal and regulatory framework set out by the Department of Health.
In contrast, the USA has a more varied approach to NMP, largely due to the differences in healthcare regulations among states. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are the primary non-medical prescribers in the USA. The training for these roles includes a master’s degree in nursing or a related field, followed by national certification and state licensure. The scope of practice, including prescribing rights, varies by state. Some states allow full practice authority, which includes the ability to prescribe without physician oversight, while others require a collaborative agreement with a physician or have other restrictions on prescribing.
The differences in NMP training between the UK and the USA reflect the variations in healthcare systems, professional roles, and regulatory frameworks in these countries. Despite these differences, the goal of NMP in both countries is to improve patient care by expanding access to medicines and making full use of the skills and expertise of healthcare professionals. As NMP continues to evolve, it will be important for training programs to ensure that non-medical prescribers are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to prescribe safely and effectively.
In conclusion, while the UK and the USA both utilize non-medical prescribing to enhance healthcare delivery, their approaches to training and regulation reflect their unique healthcare contexts. As the practice of non-medical prescribing continues to evolve, ongoing research and policy development will be crucial to maximize its benefits and ensure patient safety. For those interested in learning more about non-medical prescribing in the UK, the Practitioner Development UK Ltd website has several good articles and offers an Annual V300 Update course for those practitioners who have completed their initial training and need to meet their yearly CPD requirements.
References
- Health Education England (2018) ‘Training for non-medical prescribers’. Available at: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/pharmacy/education-training (Accessed: 1st February 2024).
- Graham-Clarke, E., Rushton, A., Noblet, T. and Marriott, J. (2019) ‘Non-medical prescribing in the United Kingdom National Health Service: A systematic policy review’. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6486024/ (Accessed: 1st February 2024).
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) ‘Becoming a prescriber’. Available at: https://www.nmc.org.uk/education/standards-for-education-and-training/standards-for-prescribing-programmes/ (Accessed: 1st February 2024)
