An Evaluation of the Expansion of Nurse Prescribing in Scotland

Abstract

Introduction 1. Nurse prescribing first became part of the UK government's policy agenda following the Cumberlege Report (DHSS, 1986). By 2001, nurse prescribing was extended to include more nurses and to cover a wider formulary. Nurse prescribers in Scotland can now prescribe a range of controlled drugs for specific medical conditions. 2. This research project provides an evaluation of the extension of prescribing powers to nurses following the introduction of new legislation in 2001 and aimed to examine: • The implementation and operation of the extension of nurse prescribing; • The impact of nurse prescribing on the appropriate use of nurses’ skills; • Patient benefit from nurse prescribing and patients’ perceptions of their experiences of care; • The impact of nurse prescribing extension on workloads; • The extent to which public health and patient safety are safeguarded; and • Different approaches to nurse prescribing training.