Non-medical prescribing: the doctor-nurse relationship revisited

This paper reports a study that was commissioned to evaluate non-medical prescribing in one health authority in the south-east of England. A questionnaire was distributed to all nurses and pharmacists who held a non-medical prescribing qualification, and this was followed up by semi-structured interviews with nurses, pharmacists, doctors and managers. The findings confirmed that the majority of respondents were very experienced, and that they were making good use of the qualification. In addition, there were clear signs that patient care was being enhanced, but this was more evident when there was a close working relationship with the doctor. In the absence of this relationship, there is a need for the organization to develop a clear strategy for the implementation of non-medical prescribing, which should incorporate the views of all key stakeholders.