Man. nurses to write prescriptions

The Manitoba government isworking with registered nurses on a plan that wouldallow them to write prescriptions.

Sandi Mowat, presidentof theManitoba Nurses Union,saidregistered nursesalready have extensive training in pharmacology so it's not a great leap to writing prescriptions.

"We understand what all the interactions could be," she said. "We understand what all the side-effects could be. So we've taken [training on] all that kind of informationalready."

'We understand what all the interactions could be. We understand what all the side-effects could be.' Sandi Mowat, Manitoba Nurses Union

Giving more authority to RNs will take the pressure off the health system, Mowat said.

"I'm not talking about complex stuff. I'm talking straightforward things that are seen regularly that they could prescribe [medications for]."

She cited antibiotics and birth control asexamples.

The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba, theregulatory body, hastoured countries whereRNs write prescriptions and isnowdeveloping guidelines andadditional trainingfor thedrugs thatnurses in this province should be allowed to prescribe.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba saysthe list of drugs should be limited.

And one Winnipeg doctor says the extra help from nurses isn'teven needed, becauseit's not the writing ofprescriptions that takes up doctors' time it's all the other paperwork, such as writing sick notes.

"A huge portion of our day is dealing with needless administrative work," Darcy Johnson said.