Patient Specific Directions and Patient Group Directions

Last Updated: 08/10/2024

Female and male nurse looking at document together

Learn more about Patient Specific Directions (PSD), which is a written instruction signed by a prescriber for medicines to be supplied and/or administered to a named patient after being assessed.

Search:

Medicine management

Who is this resource for?

This resource is aimed at all prescribers working within their normal scope of prescribing practice for adults and children.

What will this resource give me?

understand the difference between a PSD, FP10 and written prescription
find guidance for independent prescribers
information on Patient Group Directions (PGDs) and who can use them.

Resource last reviewed

12 Feb 2024

Resource lead

Heather Randle

The RCN delivers quality-assured and up-to-date resources for the nursing workforce. Reviewed annually in line with the RCN Quality Assurance policy, all RCN Learn resources meet the RCN’s Nine Quality Standards.

Who is this resource for?

Explains what the component is for

This resource is aimed at nurses and nursing support workers across all settings and levels of practice, including students of health, social work and care professions.

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Download Content Date

PDF Created On: 2 Jul 2025.

Downloaded from: https://uatlearnamber.rcn.org.uk/Search/Patient-specific-directions-and-patient-group-directions.

Please check: https://rcnlearn.rcn.org.uk for a more up-to-date version of this content.

Last Updated: 08/10/2024