An order of Health revives the war between doctors and nurses

Doctors criticize the decision by the Ministry to allow graduates prescription medicines, which "poses a risk to patients' Recipients recall that already do cures and authorize the basic drugs

An order of Health revives the war between doctors and nurses
Doctors criticize the decision by the Ministry to allow graduates prescription medicines, which "poses a risk to patients' Recipients recall that already do cures and authorize the basic drugs
A nurse applies an injection to a patient.

The war is served and no one has clear who administer anesthesia to the wounded. The Ministry of Health approved in a matter of days (maybe even before the elections) Ministerial Order by which nurses and podólogos will not have to wait for the signature of a doctor to administer a drug or to tighten a bandage every time a patient with a minor ailment comes to a query. In principle, they would be 21 drugs and another two dozen products (such as dressings or esparadrapos) to be applied without the prior clearance from the doctor.

And in this that schools medical officers across Spain have risen in arms. The more belligerent in their protest has been the institution of Cadiz, which yesterday included in a series of press advertisements criticizing this decision and warning of a rule that "can put at risk the health of citizens," stated in the release. For them, the prescription can only come from the pen of a professional degree in medicine (or in dentistry since the law empowers dentists).

Two are the risks that would result from the extension in decision-making, according to doctors: a confusion in diagnosis, "cataloguing as mild symptoms which may correspond to a serious illness," and committing "mistakes in prescribing , either because they are not adjusted indicated that corresponds to the disease or because there are interactions with other drugs being taken by the patient. "

A "legalization"

Since the Ministry of Health has admitted that advertising is the first of its kind to be produced in the country and defended its decision by a simple question of functionality. "In fact, nurses and podólogos throughout Spain already follow this practice, which is bringing to this group of droit ', sources claim the central government. Moreover, the Executive wants socialist development of the provision 12 of the Law on Management of Health Professions adopted in 2005 (which is what establishes the order of the controversy) will be adopted "just before or just after the elections" next March 9. What replied to the protests of physicians and closes the door for a correction.

Further to the explanation put under the protection of the law a situation that repeats itself every day, the College of Nursing in Cadiz province has been estimated that college graduates can face the day up to 170 different situations in which should allow the taking of a drug without resorting to the family doctor. In these situations could recommend 170 to 200 different drugs.

Similarly, the nurses have pinned in a hundred patients daily that pass through each health center to undergo a cure. Can Prescribe? They should not use that word, and that the Ministry of Health always spoke of "authorize" and not to prescribe, because that power (at least semantically), remains in the hands of doctors.