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Welsh paramedics are set to join the list of allied health professionals with prescription-issuing power in new Welsh Government regulations (pdf).

Paramedic prescribing has already been approved for use in England and Scotland, where experienced paramedics are able to issue prescriptions once they’ve completed a specialist training programme.

The explanatory memorandum (pdf) says the policy will improve flexibility within the NHS workforce and “improve patient care without compromising patient safety”. It’ll also help reduce the workload of doctors as some patients will no longer have to make a GP appointment or visit hospitals to access prescription-only medicines.

Prescriptions issued by paramedics will remain free and paramedics will also be exempt from the single-use bag charge when dispensing drugs or medical devices.

The regulations are to be approved using the negative procedure, which means they’ll automatically become law unless there’s a vote to annul them in the Senedd.

The new regulations are set to come into force on 22nd February 2019.