The history, current state and future of nurse prescribing in the UK

Nurse prescribing was established in the UK in 1992 following a series of reports recommending that community nurses should be able to prescribe specific items from a limited list. Non-medical prescribing programmes were first introduced in the 1990s, followed by independent and supplementary prescribing qualifications in the early 2000s, providing nurses and allied health professionals with a route to extend their practice. This extension of nurses’ roles has contributed to the advancement of nursing practice. By 2025 nurses made up 69% of non-medical prescribers in the UK. This article provides an overview of the history and current state of nurse prescribing in the UK, and discusses some of the opportunities and challenges for nurse prescribing in the context of advanced nursing practice.