Can nurses prescribe antibiotics? New rule sparks backlash from doctors

Doctors considered the new rule "a concrete risk to the population's health," as the "trivialization of prescriptions" could lead to increased and longer hospitalizations, as well as higher mortality and healthcare costs. The organization argues that the modification of the SNGPC allows nurses to prescribe without oversight mechanisms.

Antibiotic resistance is currently one of the 10 biggest threats to global public health, while adopting control measures and rational use is cost-effective and saves lives . CFM, in a note

"Anvisa does not have the authority to resolve issues related to the practice of the profession," says the CFM. The citation comes from an opinion and an advisory note from the Federal Prosecutor's Office from 2007 and 2012, respectively.

Following the medical profession's protest, Cofen (National Council for the Promotion of Antibiotics) argued that antibiotic prescriptions by nurses do have "legal support. " "Although the prescription of medications by nurses has been legally mandated for 39 years, the category's absence from the SNGPC prevented private pharmacies from accepting antimicrobial prescriptions issued by these professionals," the organization's statement read .

"The Medical Act Law did not establish the prescription of medications or diagnosis as exclusive acts of medicine," says Cofen. The agency argues that provisions that provided for this exclusivity were vetoed—and the veto was upheld by the National Congress. Cofen also cites Law 7,498/1986 , which regulated the practice of nursing, and Decree 94,406/1987 , which authorizes the prescription of medications in public health programs and institutional protocols.

In practice, this work has been taking place for decades within the SUS (Unified Health System), in areas such as tuberculosis, leprosy, and sexually transmitted infections, always with the support of the Ministry of Health and Anvisa. Now, the advancement is also reaching private pharmacies, expanding the population's access to essential medicines. Cofen, in a statement