Table 1.

Comparison of POM authority by healthcare profession in the UK

Healthcare profession	Supply and administration			Prescribing
	Patient-specific direction	Patient-group direction	Exemptions	Supplementary prescribing	Independent prescribing (post-registration training)	Independent prescribing (from qualification)
Art therapist⁷	✓	×	×	×	×	×
Biomedical scientist⁷	✓	×	×	×	×	×
Dentist^3,8	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	✓
Physician^3,9	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	✓
Chiropodist/podiatrist^3,7	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓ (including controlled drugs)	×
Clinical scientist⁷	✓	×	×	×	×	×
Dietitian⁷	✓	✓	×	✓	×	×
Hearing aid dispenser⁷	✓	×	×	×	×	×
Nursing associate¹⁰	✓	×	×	×	×	×
Occupational therapist⁷	✓	✓	×	×	×	×
Orthoptist⁷	✓	✓	✓	×	×	×
Operating department practitioner⁷	✓	×	×	×	×	×
Paramedic^3,7	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	×
Pharmacist^3,11	✓	✓	×	✓	✓ (including controlled drugs)	×
Physician associate¹²	✓	×	×	×	×	×
Physiotherapist^3,7	✓	✓	×	✓	✓ (including controlled drugs)	×
Practitioner psychologist⁷	✓	×	×	×	×	×
Prosthetist⁷	✓	✓	×	×	×	×
Radiographer (diagnostic)⁷	✓	✓	×	✓	×	×
Radiographer (therapeutic)⁷	✓	✓	×	✓	✓	×
Registered nurse^3,13	✓	✓	×	✓	✓ (including controlled drugs)	×
Registered midwife^3,13	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	×
Speech and language therapist⁷	✓	✓	×	×	×	×