APA welcomes independent prescribing rights for UK physiotherapists
Date:
Fri, 27/07/2012
Spokesperson:
Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA)
The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) has welcomed the decision of the United Kingdom Department of Health to allow limited prescribing rights to physiotherapists and podiatrists.
The UK Department of Health announced that it has agreed that ‘suitably trained’ UK physiotherapists will soon be able to become independent prescribers. They will be the first physiotherapists in the world to be able to do so.
In Australia, the APA is working with Health Workforce Australia (HWA) to develop a model prescribing pathway for non-medical health professions under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme. The project aims to enable non-medical health professionals, such as physiotherapists, the ability to prescribe medicines consistent with their scope of practice. It will examine suitable models for education, training, accreditation, credentialing, and monitoring of quality and safety associated with pharmaceutical prescription.
“The APA commends the UK Department of Health in its decision to allow independent prescribing rights for physiotherapists,” APA President Melissa Locke said. “We are working with HWA to achieve a similar result for physiotherapists in Australia. We believe this will reduce the unnecessary burden on doctors and improve the delivery of timely and appropriate healthcare for patients.”
“The APA firmly believes that proper education and training, credentialing, and strict adherence to quality and safety systems will mitigate risks of an increased number of prescribers,” she said.
For further information:
Erik Froese
Australian Physiotherapy Association
P: (+61) 3 9092 0829 M (+61) 457 963 675
E erik [dot] froese [at] physiotherapy [dot] asn [dot] au
Information on changes to prescribing rights in the United Kingdom:
Physiotherapists in the UK have been supplementary prescribers since 2005, which means that doctors had to sign off on their decisions.
The UK Department of Health has announced that ‘suitably trained’ UK physiotherapists will soon be able to become independent prescribers, a world first.
Independent prescribing rights have also been provided to podiatrists.
The Government of the United Kingdom will now commence changes to medicines legislation, and the establishment of approved physiotherapy courses. The first cohort of approved independent physiotherapy prescribers is expected to be recruited to these courses in mid- to late-2013.
