The range of healthcare professionals who can prescribe ‘low-risk’ medicines is to increase, the Government has announced.

In the Queen’s speech yesterday (14 October), it was announced that the Medicines and Medical Devices bill would ‘capitalise on opportunities’ for patients to have faster access to medicines by increasing the number of professions who can prescribe them.

According to the Government, the bill will: ‘Enable Government to increase the range of professions able to prescribe low-risk medicines to make the most effective use of the NHS workforce, as well as developing more innovative ways of dispensing medicines, where recommended by scientific experts.’

However, the Government did not elaborate on which professions would be able to prescribe these low-risk medicines under the bill.

It follows the news that the NHS is looking at removing the need for GPs to prescribe statins, and instead allowing pharmacists to give high-dose statins over the counter as part of the NHS Long-Term Plan's goal to discuss heart disease and stroke.