Nurses will be able to prescribe medicine later this year under new plans outlined by Minister for Health Mary Harney today.
They will only be allowed to prescribe within their scope of practice as defined by An Board Altranais, the Nursing Board.
The first group of nurses permitted to prescribe medicines could be in place by the autumn.
While the prescribing of a broad range of drugs will be possible, the patient must be under the care of a doctor and the list of medicines must be approved by the health employer.
There will be specific restrictions on controlled drugs.
Funding to train the first set of nurse prescribers is to be provided this year, with the first course expected to start in April.
Up to 50 places will be made available.
An expert implementation group will oversee the roll out of the new practice on a national basis.
The draft regulations for the scheme have been notified to the EU Commission, a requirement under the transparency directive.
The regulations will be signed at the end of the three-month notification period, once there are no objections from other EU member states.
