Views on nurse prescriber role – have your say on the forum
The RCVS are considering implementing a nurse prescriber role for vaccinations and de-worming medication. Below are some questions to consider. We would love to hear your views on the forum.
Risks to animal welfare
1. In your view,what if any risks to animal welfare could be associated with allowing RVNs (with appropriate further training) within a veterinary practice to prescribe certain routine veterinary prescription-only medications (POM-Vs) such as first vaccinations and flea and worming treatments?
Benefits to animal welfare
2. In your view, would benefits to animal welfare (such as increased access to treatments due to lower costs) outweigh any risks listed above? If so, how?
Medications
3.If a VN prescriber role were to be created, which medications do you think should be allowed to be prescribed by a VN after a health check (without a clinical assessment/diagnosis by a veterinary surgeon)? Impact on the veterinary practice workforce
4. Assuming that a nurse practitioner role as described above was introduced, do you believe that it could impact the number of vets and veterinary nurses required in the practice team?
Equine and farm animal practice
5. The proposals have been conceived as a part of the development of the small animal practice team within a hospital/clinic. Do you think that this could be developed in other sectors of veterinary practice e.g. equine or farm animal?