The response contrasts with that of the British Medical Association(BMA), which has branded the plan "irresponsible and dangerous".
There are currently 1,600 nurses qualified to prescribe independently alimited number of medicines from the national formulary or drugs list,after undertaking a 40-day course over six months.
Under the plans, nurses will be able to prescribe medicines from thefull formulary from next Spring, except controlled drugs, in theirspecialist areas of expertise.
Prescribing rights will also be extended to pharmacists to enablepatients to get drugs on prescription without visiting a GP.
Sir Alan Craft, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and ChildHealth, said prescribing by children's nurses "in narrow specialistareas" according to strict guidelines was welcome.
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