Midwives and nurses trained to prescribe drugs

THE first group of nurses and midwives to successfully complete a drug-prescribing programme received their certificates at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in Dublin yesterday.

The 22 nurses and midwives who completed the six-month educational programme can now prescribe painkillers, antibiotics and other medicines.

A further 20 nurses and midwives are due to complete a similar programme at University College Cork next month with up to 100 expected to graduate nationally next year.

Over the next two years, it is expected that approximately 200 nurses and midwives will have completed this educational programme and will be fully qualified nurse prescribers.

Particular areas where nurse and midwife prescribing will have a particular impact includes chronic disease management, emergency treatment, pain control and palliative care.

RCSI head of nursing, Prof Seamus Cowman, described the development as a milestone in the history of nursing and midwifery in Ireland.

“Prescribing of medications by nurses and midwives will enable patients to have easier access, faster delivery of treatment and earlier intervention in both the hospital and primary care setting,” he said.

Health Minister Mary Harney, who congratulated the first group to complete the prescribing programme, said improving patient care was at the heart of the nurse and midwife prescribing initiative.

Earlier this year, Ms Harney introduced legislative provisions to allow for nurse and midwife prescribing.

She pointed out that patient safety was protected by the combination of the specific requirements to be met under the regulations.

Only nurses who are employed by a health service provider can prescribe drugs and may only prescribe the drugs relevant to the area in which they are working.

And while nurses and midwives can prescribe a broad range of drugs, specific restriction will apply to certain controlled drugs.

Nurses and midwife prescribers must also be registered with the nursing board, An Bord Altranais, and must include their registration number on any prescription they write.

A resource and implementation group, established by Ms Harney in 2006, is continuing its work in overseeing the roll-out of the nurse and midwife prescribing on a national basis.

The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) also congratulated the first group of nurse and midwife prescribers.

INO general secretary Liam Doran said the organisation had been seeking this expanded role of nurses and midwifes for many years.

It represented real reform within the health service by increasing the way that it responded to patient need, he said.

Meanwhile, Ms Harney is seeking the views of the public and interested bodies on new legislation for nurses and midwives that will become part of a suite of legislative instruments to ensure greater accountability of all healthcare professions.

More information on the publication consultation is available on the Department of Health’s website at www.dohc.ie/issues.