The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI) has issued a notice for all nursing and midwifery medicinal product prescribers currently registered in Ireland following the recent announcement that the maximum legal validity of prescriptions has been extended from six-to-12 months. Nursing and midwifery prescribers, doctors, and dentists can all now issue prescriptions for a patient with a legal validity of up to 12 months if they deem the extended timeframe to be clinically appropriate.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is encouraging patients to ask their prescribers if they are suitable for a 12-month prescription when their current prescription is due for renewal.
Making the announcement, Minister Donnelly also said: “The changes taking effect today will be welcomed by many patients, particularly those who are stable on medication and who are deemed by their prescriber to be suitable to receive a 12-month prescription, as it reduces the need for repeat visits.”
According to the NMBI, the considerations and impacts for registered nurse and midwife prescribers are:
- Prescriptions can now be written for a patient with a legal validity of up to 12 months if they deem it
clinically appropriate; - Prescribers can continue to write six-month prescriptions if they feel this is better for the individual patient;
- If prescribers do not feel that an extension would be in the best interest of the patient, they can include this instruction on the prescription by writing ‘do not extend prescription’;
- Pharmacists can extend six-month prescriptions up to a maximum of 12 months from 1 September 2024 for patients if it is appropriate to do so based on clinical judgement. This will apply to prescriptions issued on or after 1 March 2024;
- This does not apply to a medicinal product which is a controlled drug specified in Schedule 2, 3, or 4 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017.
The change has been implemented following Minister Donnelly’s acceptance of a recommendation from the Expert Taskforce to Support the Expansion of the Role of Pharmacists.
A detailed explanation of the practical implications of these measures for patients is available at gov.ie/12monthprescriptions.
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