The government has announced plans for dental hygienists and dental therapists to supply and administer certain types of medicines without sign off from a dentist.
Announced today (28 March), this move will streamline processes within dental practices, improve patient experiences and relieve NHS dental access issues, the government has said.
This comes after two government consultations were held on its proposal to amend the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (HMRs) to grant these powers. The government said the feedback from the consultations was ‘overwhelmingly positive’ and that it received ‘widespread support’ for amending the HMRs.
Allowing dental hygienists and therapists to give patients certain medicines, including pain relief and fluoride, without sign off will free up dentists’ time, therefore improving to dental services.
The plan also allows pharmacy technicians to supply specified medicines to certain groups of patients, without the patients seeing a prescriber. The government believes this will allow pharmacy technicians to carry out tasks such as vaccinations and consultations, and free up pharmacists’ time.
Faster, simpler and fairer access
This move is part of a number of new measures the government has announced to tackle the current NHS dental crisis, including the NHS dentistry recovery plan. The government has claimed that its recovery plan could see up to 2.5 million additional NHS dental appointments delivered for patients over the next 12 months, including up to 1.5 million extra treatments being delivered.
Primary care minister Andrea Leadsom said: ‘We want to give patients faster, simpler and fairer access to the care they need, when they need it – and giving these powers to pharmacy technicians, dental therapists and hygienists will do just that.
‘Today’s announcement shows we are continuing to deliver on our promises made to improve access to primary care for all, building on the government’s long term ambitions, including through the dental recovery plan and the expansion of the Pharmacy First Scheme.
‘We want to ensure our fantastic staff are recognised for the vital work that they do, working to their full scope of practice and delivering for everyone who walks through their doors.’
‘Everyone will benefit’
The British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT) said: ‘BSDHT welcomes plans to facilitate our professions within the four nations in working to the full extent of their skillset and giving them new powers that enable them to offer patients the care that they need.
‘The responses for the consultations were emphatic; that these highly-skilled professionals should be able to work on their own authority and be able to supply and administer a specific list of medicines directly to patients.
‘Everyone will benefit from an oral healthcare team that runs more smoothly and uses its time effectively. We encourage members of the profession to embrace this opportunity to do what is right for patients and the public who have been supportive in this process.
‘BSDHT thanks those who fundraised to support the work for this in its early days and all those whose hard work and determination has realised this ambition we imagined in 2013. Our special thanks and recognition go to our partner in this process, BADT (British Association of Dental Therapists) and the wonderful Michaela ONeill and Dr Fiona Sandom.’
Funding and extent of training unclear
The BADT said: ‘We are delighted that following the General Dental Council (GDC) permitting Direct Access in 2013, then 11 years of campaigning and over 10 years being involved in the Chief Professions Officer’s Medical Mechanisms Project (CPOMMP) that dental therapists and dental hygienists will soon be able to supply and administer certain prescription only medicines to patients without a need for a patients specific direction (PSD) or a patient group direction (PDG).
‘This will allow dental therapists and dental hygienists to efficiently use their full scope of practice and deliver patient care as they have been trained and educated to do .
‘We would like to point out that this will apply to all four nations, not just England, and dental therapists and dental hygienists will still need to undergo education and training before they are able to use “exemptions” for the medicines that were consulted on in 2023.
‘It is unclear, however, at the moment, the extent of that education and training and how it will be provided and if dental therapists and dental hygienists will have to fund it themselves to work in the NHS.’
‘Great step forward’
Fiona Sandom is chair of the BADT and BADT representative on the NHS England exemption project. She said: ‘I am delighted that, after 10 years of working on this project for BADT and in partnership with Michaela O’Neill for BSDHT, dental therapists and dental hygienists will soon be able to supply and administer certain prescription only medicines to patients without a need for a PSD or PGD.
‘I would like to point out that this will apply to all four nations, not just England. However, dental therapists and dental hygienists will still need to undergo education and training before they are able to use “exemptions” for the medicines that were consulted on in 2023.
‘This is a great step forward for our professionals to be able to use our full scope of practice to see and treat patients and reduce the administrative burden on our dentist colleagues.’
Read the full government press release here.
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