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The pressure to prescribe for patients with personality disorder

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Legal and ethical implications of non-medical prescribing

Penny Lovatt

Nurse Prescribing, Vol. 8, Iss. 7, 09 Jul 2010, pp 340 - 343

The nurse independent prescriber (NIP) role has slowly evolved over 6 years, since its introduction in 2000 in line with the Government plans to modernize the NHS. The development of this role served to benefit the patients by improving access to medication, empowering them to have a degree of choice in their health care and the staff in extending their scope of practice and professional development. Accordingly there are numerous professional, ethical and legal implications associated with this extended nursing role. The article will consider both the professional accountability and the legal issues involved in NIP, before discussing how the ethical principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy and justice underpin safe, cost effective prescribing practice. In considering how ethically, legally and morally sound NIP fits into the clinical setting, application of the discussion in introducing this role into a minor Injuries unit is included.

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