Non medical prescribing in Scotland: implementation guide

Appendix 2: Actions for employer: notification of qualification to prescribe

1. The Higher Education Institution will advise the individual's employer of successful or unsuccessful completion of the prescribing programme. For nurses successfully completing the programme, the employer is then advised to take the following actions.

2. There is no requirement for HIG/ ISD to be informed of hospital-based nurse prescribers. The prescribing lead nurse(s) for each NHS Board is/are responsible for informing the HIG/ ISD of GP practice prescribers using the attached form, ISD (P) 1. HIG will continue in their existing role of assigning prescribers codes to nurse prescribers.

3. Registration and similar notification arrangements need to be set up by the prescribing lead(s) for hospital-based nurse independent prescribers.

4. The nurse details to be provided on the proforma include:

• Name
• NMC number
• Qualifications (Community Practitioner Nurse Prescriber or Nurse Independent/ Supplementary Prescriber)
• Practice/Directorate/Department/Therapeutic area
• Employer details

5. The prescribing lead(s) notifying HIG/ ISD of new nurse prescribers who work across more than one practice will be required to provide details of the practice within which the nurse is expected to issue the majority of their prescriptions (i.e. their 'main prescribing practice'). These nurses will receive one prescription pad pre-printed with the prescriber code for this practice and one prescription pad part-printed with the nurse's name, NMC number and contact telephone number. Prescribers will need to write the appropriate nurse prescriber code on each prescription form for any additional practice.

6. Where the nurse prescriber works in a primary care setting as well as in secondary care, the above arrangements need to be followed. Similar arrangements need to be set up by the prescribing lead(s) within hospital-based settings for hospital-based prescribers.

Form: ISD (P) 1

Primary Care Nurse Prescribers: Registration or Change of Circumstances