I noticed that the Act will give registered nurses (RNs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) the authority to dispense a drug. What does this mean?
Once the legislation takes effect, nurses will not require delegation to perform the controlled act of dispensing a drug. However, they will require an authorizing mechanism such as a client-specific order or a medical directive, to be in place. Currently, nurses can only dispense a drug under delegation. The process of delegation is only appropriate when an activity is beyond the nursing scope of practice. Dispensing drugs has been a common part of nursing practice for years and should fall within nursing’s legal scope of practice, which is what Bill 179 achieves. Dispensing involves the selection, preparation and transfer of one or more prescribed drug doses to a client or their representative for the client’s self-administration at a later time. Nurses do not charge a dispensing fee when they dispense a drug.
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