Private Practice
- Text Decrease
- Text Increase
- Print Page
Template letter on nurse practitioner prescribing
Nurse practitioners[1] in Victoria have been granted the right to prescribe certain Schedule 4 and Schedule 8 drugs (“Certain Scheduled Drugs”), and have the cost of these prescriptions covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule.
While this right of prescription does not include a legal duty for nurse practitioners to inform a patient’s treating medical practitioner of such prescriptions, some nurse practitioners may choose to notify you of such prescriptions.
Nurse practitioners however have a legal obligation to inform a patient’s treating medical practitioner when nurse practitioners order diagnostic tests or provide referrals to a specialist, unless a patient objects to such disclosure.
For your assistance, AMA Victoria has prepared a template letter (appended below), which you may consider sending to a nurse practitioner following receipt of such a notification. The template letter states to the that you bear no responsibility for any prescription or treatment recommended by the nurse practitioner. Please amend this template letter further as you deem appropriate.
Legal and ethical obligations to your patients
While the template letter states that you do not accept any responsibility for prescriptions or treatment from nurse practitioners, it is important that you continue to bear in mind your legal and ethical obligations to your patients.
In particular, when notified by a nurse practitioner of the prescription of scheduled drugs, referrals to specialists or diagnostic test results, you should:
- make reasonable attempts to ensure that there are no adverse drug interactions between any drugs prescribed by the nurse practitioner, and no adverse drug interactions with any other drugs that have been prescribed to this patient – please inform the patient immediately if you become aware of this;
- take reasonable steps to ensure that the nurse practitioner’s prescription is legal and within their scope of practice[2];
- incorporate relevant information from the nurse practitioner’s notification into the patient’s medical record; and
- if you have concerns about such prescriptions, we recommend that your practice contact that patient, to make an appointment to see you for a consultation.
AMA Victoria also recommends that your patients are informed of the following:
“It is important that your doctor has full knowledge of your health care in order to care for you properly. If you are seeing a nurse practitioner or any allied health professional, please ensure that you notify your doctor, especially if you are prescribed medications by another health professional.”
This statement may also be placed as a notice in your practice.
AMA Victoria lastly recommends that if you receive a notification from a nurse practitioner, you should contact your medical indemnity insurer or the AMA Victoria for further advice.
-
Template letter: nurse practitioner prescribing
- Size: 40.4 kB
- Type: DOC
- Published: May 2, 2011
