What Are Independent Prescribers and Supplementary Prescribers?

Independent prescribers (IP) and supplementary prescribers (SP) are professional healthcare practitioners that can prescribe medications to patients. Independent prescribers are medical practitioners responsible for assessing patients with diagnosed and undiagnosed health conditions and making decisions about their clinical management, including prescribing medicines.

Independent prescribers can prescribe generic medications, except where the medicine isn't clinically appropriate. 

Supplementary prescribers are professional healthcare providers that work in partnership with independent providers, such as doctors and dentists, to provide prescribed medicines that are part of an agreed Clinical Management Plan for an individual patient with that patient's agreement.

Professional healthcare providers that fall into these categories include the following:

Nurses

Nurse Independent Prescribers (NIPs) can prescribe any medicine for any medical condition. Unlicensed medicines are excluded from the Nurse Prescribing Formulary in Scotland. NIPs can prescribe, administer, and manage the administration of Schedule 2, 3, 4, and 5 Controlled Drugs, including diamorphine hydrochloride, dipipanone, or cocaine for treating organic disease or injury - but not for treating addiction.

NIPs have to work within their own level of professional competence and expertise and are subject to an Approved list for prescribing by Community Practitioner Nurse Prescribers (NPF).

Pharmacists

Pharmacist Independent Prescribers (PIPs) prescribe any medicine for any medical condition. They can also prescribe, administer, and manage the administration of Schedule 2, 3, 4, and 5 Controlled Drugs, including diamorphine hydrochloride, dipipanone, or cocaine for treating organic disease or injury - but not for treating addiction.

PIPs must work within their own level of professional competence and expertise.

Physiotherapists

Physiotherapist Independent Prescribers are allowed to prescribe any medicine for any medical condition, including 'off-label' medications subject to accepted clinical good practice. They must work within their own level of professional competence and expertise. Physiotherapists can prescribe controlled drugs, including:

• Dihydrocodeine tartrate
• Lorazepam
• Oral or injectable morphine
• Oxycodone hydrochloride or temazepam
• Transdermal fentanyl
• Oral diazepam

Therapeutic radiographers

Therapeutic Radiographer Independent Prescribers can prescribe any medicine for any medical condition, including 'off-label' medications subject to accepted clinical good practice. They must work within their own level of professional competence and expertise.

Optometrists

Optometrist Independent Prescribers can prescribe any licensed medicine specifically for ocular conditions affecting the eye and the tissues surrounding the eye. They cannot prescribe controlled drugs for parenteral administration. They must work within their own level of professional competence and expertise.

Podiatrists

Podiatrist Independent Prescribers can prescribe any medicine for any medical condition, including 'off-label' medications subject to accepted clinical good practice. They can also prescribe controlled drugs for oral administration, such as diazepam, dihydrocodeine tartrate, lorazepam and temazepam.

Paramedics

Paramedic Independent Prescribers can prescribe any medicine for any medical condition, including 'off-label' medications subject to accepted clinical good practice. They must work within their own level of professional competence and expertise.

PDUK Ltd. Provides professional courses and workshops for healthcare practitioners and associated support staff. We recommend the following course, which is a yearly update that all non-medical prescribers who have completed a V300 course must take.

AR124 Annual NMP V300 update course: Online

This one-day interactive online course is perfect for non-medical prescribers (NMP) with a recorded prescribing qualification (V300) who are working within the NMP role. 

Participants completing this course will fulfil their requirement for NMPs to demonstrate ongoing CPD by updating their qualifications annually.

This course is aimed at NMP with a V300, including nurses, physiotherapists, radiographers, pharmacists, optometrists, podiatrists, midwives and paramedics.

Course participants can expect to gain the following knowledge:

• Understand the legal, professional and accountability issues of non-medical prescribing.
• Assess your prescribing practice using the single Royal Pharmacy Society (RPS) competency framework.
• Describe strategies to keep up to date with developments in evidence-based practice to maintain safe prescribing.
• Reflect on your prescribing experiences with your peers and network and identify areas for improving your practice.

The course runs from 10:00 am- 4:30 pm, and all course materials, evaluations and certificates are provided.