South African Nursing Council

Regulations Relating to the Keeping, Supply, Administering or Prescribing of Medicines by Registered Nurses

In terms of section 45 of the Nursing Act, 1978 (Act 50 of 1978), the Minister of Health and Welfare, acting on the recommendation of the South African Nursing Council, has made the regulations set out in the Schedule hereto.

SCHEDULE

1.    In the Schedule “the Act” shall mean the Nursing Act, 1978 (Act 50 of 1978), and any expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the Act shall bear such meaning and, unless the context otherwise indicates-

“authorised nurse” shall mean a registered nurse mentioned in section 38A of the Act [Note (1)];

“Medicines Control Act” shall mean the Medicines and Related Substances Control Act, 1965 (Act 101 of 1965);

“prescribed medicine” shall mean a medicine or related substance mentioned in regulation 2;

“re-packed form” shall mean packaging of prescribed medicine prepacked from bulk for the immediate use of a patient;

“section” shall mean a section of the Act;

“unscheduled medicine” shall mean any medicine or related substance not listed in any Schedule to the Medicines Control Act.

2.    An authorised nurse may, subject to the provisions of section 38A and the conditions listed in regulation 3, keep the following and supply, administer or prescribe it for the use of a person:

(a)    An unscheduled medicine;

(b)    any medicine or substance listed in Schedule 1, Schedule 2, Schedule 3 or Schedule 4 to the Medicines Control Act.

Conditions under which an authorised nurse may supply, administer or prescribe a prescribed medicine

3.    An authorised nurse who supplies, administers or prescribes a prescribed medicine to a patient in terms of these regulations shall-

(a)    directly after supply, administering or prescribing, enter-

(i)    the diagnosis made by the nurse in respect of the health condition of the patient;
(ii)    the name, quantity, strength and dosage of the medicine supplied, administered or prescribed, as the case may be;
(iii)    the number of the Schedule to the Medicines Control Act in which such medicine is listed (if any);
(iv)    the date and time of supply, administering or prescribing,

on the patient’s file or treatment record, as the case may be, and against that entry the date and time of the entry, his name and category of registration in block letters as well as his signature;

(b)    ensure, that in the case where such medicine is supplied to a patient, the medicine is in an original or in a repacked form and the container in which the medicine is supplied is labelled with-

(i)    the approved name, quantity and strength of the medicine;
(ii)    the number of the Schedule to the Medicines Control Act (if any) in which such medicine is listed;
(iii)    the name of the patient and his file or treatment record number, as the case may be;
(iv)    the dosage of the medicine; and
(v)    the address of the body which supplies the medicine.

Note (1). – Attention is drawn to the fact that, in terms of section 38A, the Director-General, the relevant director of hospital services, the relevant medical officer of health or the medical officer in charge of a relevant organisation which renders a health service and who is designated by the Director-General in consultation with the South African Pharmacy Board, must authorise the registered nurse and must determine, after consultation with the South African Nursing Council, the acts which such a nurse may perform.