ABSTRACT
This chapter uses the UK context as an exemplar of nurse prescribing to develop the US perspective offered in the first edition.1 Mental health nurse (MHN) prescribing now has been in situ in the UK for a number of years, and there exists a growing body of evidence of the effect on the outcomes of MHNs prescribing interventions for the service user.2 Firstly, a brief historical overview of nurse prescribing in the UK is offered. Secondly, we explore why MHN prescribing has developed. Thirdly, we establish the requirements for MHNs to prescribe safely, competently and lawfully. The fourth section provides evidence of how and where mental health prescribing is utilized in practice using four personal illustrations. Finally, a summary of the future of MHN prescribing is offered.
