Open consultation

Proposals to extend medicines responsibilities for paramedics, physiotherapists, operating department practitioners and diagnostic radiographers.

Regulated healthcare professionals have been taking on responsibilities for prescribing, supplying and administering medicines (medicines responsibilities) for many years. This supports patients to receive the medicines they require from the professional who is appropriately qualified to help them and means they do not need to see additional professionals simply to access these medicines.

Authorised healthcare professionals can prescribe, supply and administer medicines through a number of different routes, subject to their profession and competence level. More information about these routes is provided in annex A. 

This consultation seeks views on the following proposed changes affecting 4 professional groups:

• extending the list of medicines that paramedics can administer in emergency situations using exemptions within medicines legislation
• extending the list of controlled drugs that physiotherapist independent prescribers are legally able to prescribe
• enabling operating department practitioners to supply and administer medicines using patient group directions (PGDs)
• permitting diagnostic radiographers to train as independent prescribers