The Bill proposes prescription of ‘low-risk’ drugs to be expanded to wider range of healthcare professionals. 

A new Bill announced in this week’s Queen’s Speech has set out the UK Government’s proposals to develop “innovative ways of dispensing” by empowering a wider range of healthcare professionals to dispense “low risk” medication. 

The Government said the Bill is “Enabling the 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.” 

The Department of Health and Social Care is reported to have said the Bill “will ensure patients are able to get medicines from the most appropriate healthcare professional for their situation quickly and pressure is reduced on the wider NHS workforce”. 

“This includes exemptions that allow some professionals to administer specific medicines for immediate necessary treatment.  The Department spokesperson said, an example of this may be paramedics administering pain relief in emergencies as another example. 

The Department said public consultations will be undertaken, “drawing on the expertise of clinicians and medical experts”.