The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) has today launched a consultation on draft revised Standards for prescribing.
Currently, members of five professions that we regulate may complete post-registration training to become non-medical prescribers. In September 2018, over 1,400 professionals on the HCPC Register held an annotation for prescribing.
The HCPC’s current Standards for prescribing were published in August 2013. Since this time, we have seen a number of important changes in non-medical prescribing practice and regulation. In 2016 to 2017, we also updated our Standards of education and training for pre-registration programmes (‘the SETs’).
Katherine Timms, Head of Policy and Standards, commented:
“The purpose of the review of the Standards for prescribing has been to ensure that they remain effective and fit for purpose; are well understood by our stakeholders and the public; and take account of change, including changes in practice, legislation, technology, guidelines and wider society.
“We believe that the legal framework for nonmedical prescribing will continue to grow and change over time. Our Standards for prescribing therefore need to be agile and able to accommodate change.”
Prescribing is also an area where there is considerable regulatory duplication. Several different regulators have responsibilities to quality assure the same skills, and even the same education and training programmes, for different professions.
We believe it is sensible to set the same standards for the same skills, where we are able to and it is appropriate to do so.
Opening on Monday 1 October 2018, the 13 week consultation runs until Friday 4 January 2019. We would like to implement revised Standards for prescribing for the 2019/2020 academic year.
To take part in the consultation, complete our online survey, email consultation@hcpc-uk.org or write to Consultation on revised Standards for prescribing, Policy and Standards Department, Health and Care Professions Council, Park House, 184 Kennington Park Road, London, SE11 4BU.