Prescriptions
(asked on 22nd March 2023) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps under the Medicines and Medical Devices Act to extend independent prescribing responsibilities to (a) dietitians, (b) occupational therapists, (c) orthoptists, (d) diagnostic radiographers and (e) speech and language therapists where safe and appropriate to do so within the scope of their professional practice.
Dietitians and diagnostic radiographers can already supply medicines under Patient Group Directions and use supplementary prescribing. Orthoptists can already supply medicines under Patient Group Directions and exemptions which permit certain medicines to be sold, supplied and/or administered to patients.
In 2015, NHS England held a public consultation on proposals to enable radiographers to practise as independent prescribers. This consultation concerned both diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers and ran from 27 February 2015 to 27 May 2015. It is available at the following link:
In December 2021, the Commission on Human Medicines reconsidered this proposal and provided advice to Ministers to amend the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to allow diagnostic radiographers to independently prescribe. There are no current plans to extend medicines responsibilities further for the other professional groups asked about.