"Faster access to care": Advanced practice nurses can prescribe medications

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) will soon be able to prescribe certain medications and sick leave for up to three days, following the publication of a decree in the Official Journal on Wednesday.

With two more years of study than traditional nurses, or five years, nursing assistants' scope of expertise is expanding. This right to prescribe will be reserved for nursing assistants working in a facility, such as a health center or hospital, excluding those practicing privately.

This is "a fundamental step forward that is fully in line with the pact to combat medical deserts," said Health Minister Yannick Neuder. These IPAs are not intended to replace doctors, but to free them from certain tasks.

Advanced practice nurses will, for example, be able to issue prescriptions for painkillers, antibiotics, or even for medical transport. "If you have a sore throat and need an antibiotic, the APN will see the patient, perform a clinical examination, whatever is necessary, and will be able to prescribe the antibiotic," explains Laurent Salsac, assistant secretary of the National Union of Advanced Practice Nurses.

The latter sees this as a major turning point for the health service which "means faster access to care, particularly in areas where medical provision is extremely lacking or reduced."

"This will absolutely not call into question the quality and safety of care," assures Laurent Salsac.

The IPAs will have to work in collaboration with doctors. "It's a good solution," says Frédéric Bizard, an economist specializing in social protection and health, who nevertheless doubts its effectiveness: "Will it have a significant impact? Unfortunately, no. The IPAs do not replace doctors and do not compensate for the absence of doctors."

Today, France has approximately 3,000 IPAs. It will have 1,000 more in July, thanks to the new graduates.