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Dietitians were granted supplementary prescribing rights in 2016. This means that dietitians are now able to qualify as supplementary prescribers after attending an appropriate Master’s level course at university. Once qualified, dietitians can prescribe a range of medications for people under their care. Dietitians are experts in diet and nutrition.
What do prescribing dietitians help with?
Prescribing dietitians help people who require improvements to their health from a combination of diet, nutrition and medications.
Who do prescribing dietitians help?
Many people require a combination of diet and medications to optimise their health. Some examples of how dietitians can help with this are listed below.
- People with diabetes require support and education on self-managing their diabetes through diet, lifestyle and diabetes medication (oral, injections and insulin pump therapy). Prescribing dietitians are suitably qualified to help people find the balance with diet and lifestyle, with titration of insulin and other medications by deprescribing, titration or regular adjustments to help improve blood glucose concentrations, hypo- and hyperglycaemia.
- People with kidney disease often require a change to their diet in combination with medications such as binders to help control their blood potassium and phosphate levels. Prescribing dietitians are suitably qualified to help people with kidney disease make dietary changes and either start or alter doses of binders.
- People with pancreatic disease who do not produce enough enzymes to digest their food require an assessment of their diet and advice on pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to help prevent weight loss and vitamin deficiencies. Prescribing dietitians are suitably qualified to help people with pancreatic disease make dietary changes and either start or alter doses of PERT.
- People with intestinal failure who do not have sufficient gut function require intravenous nutrition to prevent malnutrition and dehydration. Prescribing dietitians are suitably qualified to complete an assessment of nutritional status, estimate requirements and then prescribe intravenous nutrition to help prevent malnutrition, dehydration and micronutrient deficiencies.
How do prescribing dietitians work?
Dietitians work as part of a multidisciplinary team with doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.
A prescribing dietitian will work with an independent prescriber (a doctor) to create a clinical management plan for each patient the dietitian is prescribing for. The independent prescriber makes the diagnosis and then the dietitian supplementary prescriber will assess the patient and prescribe the medication that is relevant to their skills as a dietitian.
The clinical management plan needs to be agreed with the independent prescriber and the patient before the dietitian can prescribe medication.
Where do prescribing dietitians work?
Prescribing dietitians can work within hospitals, outpatient clinics/units, GP practices, in the community and in private practice.
Further info
Are you interested in prescribing? If so, why not join our sub-group for free, as part of your Advanced Practice or First Contact Dietitians Specialist Group memberships.
Find out more about the BDA's Independent Prescribing campaign.