The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba will launch consultations with its members on proposed regulatory changes to expand the prescribing authority of nurse practitioners. This announcement was made by Health Minister Theresa Oswald.
“Nurse practitioners play a vital role in providing quality care to patients and families when they need it,” said Oswald. “We are pleased to see the College of Registered Nurses proceeding with consultations to expand the prescribing authority for nurse practitioners, which will provide more care and help improve access to health services for families across the province.”
The province has been working with the college to develop regulatory amendments to expand the prescribing authority for nurse practitioners. The proposed changes would include:
• expanding prescribing authority from a limited number of drugs to all drugs except controlled drugs and substances; and
• allowing nurse practitioners to prescribe needed medical devices to allow people to access benefits through Manitoba Family Services and Consumer Affairs and private insurers. Previously, a physician prescription was required.
The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba is required by legislation to consult with its members on any proposed regulatory changes or amendments.
“We will be consulting with extended-practice nurses and asking for their views on this very important proposed regulatory change to optimize their prescriptive authority,” said Diane Wilson Maté, executive director of the College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba. “We appreciate the support of the provincial government as we move forward with seeing nurse practitioners practice to their full potential, which will result in more accessible and effective patient care.”
The minister noted the proposed changes would improve access to primary care for patients as part of the government’s plan to ensure all Manitobans that want a family doctor have access to one by 2015.
“Nurse practitioners have extensive training to meet the needs of patients in primary care and across the health-care system,” said Laura Ferguson, president of the Nurse Practitioner Association of Manitoba. “We look forward to seeing the prescribing authority for nurse practitioners expanded so they can provide more care and further meet the needs of patients.”
