Proposed new prescribing powers for advanced practitioner physiotherapists and podiatrists have been announced today.
Ministers have announced their agreement to lay amendments to medicines legislation before Parliament that would enable independent prescribing responsibilities to be extended to appropriately qualified physiotherapists.
Physiotherapists and podiatrists in the UK would be the first in the world to be able to independently prescribe medicines where clinically appropriate.
Appropriately qualified and annotated physiotherapists and podiatrists will be able to prescribe any licensed medicine provided it falls within their individual area of competence and respective scopes of practice, which are defined as follows:
- a physiotherapist independent prescriber may prescribe any licensed medication within national and local guidelines for any condition within their area ofexpertise and competence within the overarching framework of human movement, performance and function
- a podiatrist independent prescriber can prescribe only those medicines which are relevant to the treatment of disorders affecting the foot, ankle and associated structures, in line with current practice and consistent with published professional guidance.
Dr Helena Johnson, chair of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said:
“Giving physiotherapists the opportunity to prescribe independently will hugely improve the care we can provide in the future.
“Patients will now receive a more streamlined and efficient service, meaning they get the medicines they need more immediately.”
Alison Wishart, Chair of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists said:
“Independent prescribing provides podiatrists with the opportunity to deliver more flexible services for patients – ensuring timely access to medicines, care closer to home and enabling innovation.”
The proposal to extend prescribing responsibilities follows two public consultations last year and subsequent recommendations from the Commission on Human Medicines.
- Read Summary of Public Consultation on Proposals to Introduce Independent Prescribing by Physiotherapists
- Read Summary of Public Consultation on Proposals to Introduce Independent Prescribing by Podiatrists
- Read Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Proposals to Introduce Independent Prescribing by Physiotherapists and Podiatrists