Ms Wendy Yue is able to run her own collaborative prescribing clinic in Alexandra Hospital after completing a three-month programme at NUS last year.

Nurse Wendy Yue can now prescribe medicines and order tests for patients.

She helms the outpatient clinic which opened yesterday at Alexandra Hospital.

Ms Yue, one of two certified advanced practice nurses in Rehabilitation Medicine in Singapore, was part of the inaugural intake of 38 pharmacists and advanced practice nurses who completed the three-month National Collaborative Prescribing Programme at the National University of Singapore last year.

The course equips them to legally prescribe medicines and order tests for patients without a doctor's countersignature, thus shortening patients' waiting time.

They are allowed to prescribe certain types of medication like painkillers at limited doses.

Ms Yue, 45, who has been a nurse for 24 years, told The New Paper: "I feel more satisfied now that I can do more for my patients, rather than just referring them to the doctor."

Although she has spent most of her career at National University Hospital, she volunteered to join Alexandra Hospital last year.

She said: "I'm excited about finally being able to complete the patients' care, but I'm still a little apprehensive as I'm fully accountable for what I prescribe the patients, so there's more responsibility involved."

Along with running the outpatient clinic, Ms Yue will continue to be in charge of Alexandra Hospital's new Specialised Rehab Ward, nurturing the next generation of nurses in rehabilitation medicine.

Alexandra Hospital's chief nurse, Ms Margaret Lee, 42, told The New Paper: "We are proud of Wendy for the commendable efforts she's put in to pave the way for future Collaborative Practice Prescribers.

"These nurses strengthen our one-stop, holistic, patient-centric model, which is collaborative in that the care team caring for the patient is multi-disciplinary."

To join the National Collaborative Prescribing Programme, nurses and pharmacists need a minimum of five years of experience, of which three are in their respective areas of practice.

Alexandra Hospital will be sending four more nurses and a pharmacist for subsequent batches of the National Collaborative Prescribing Programme this year.