Medication and test prescription by nurses: contributions to advanced practice and transformation of care

OBJECTIVE: To carry out a documentary study on the rules, guidelines, policies and institutional support for the nurse to prescribe medicines and request tests with a view to the advanced practice in the scope of Primary Health Care. METHODS: Documentary research using open-access institutional documents - Federal Nursing Council (COFEN), its regional representations in the respective Brazilian states (COREN) and the Brazilian Nursing Association (ABEN). RESULTS: Most of the news/notices were issued by the Regional Nursing Councils in the different Federative Units. The argumentation regarding the prescription of medicines and request for tests by nurses is based on three categories: Autonomy and competencies for the prescription of medicines and/or request of tests; Corporate policies that undermine the full exercise of nursing; and Transformation of health and nursing care in Primary Health Care. CONCLUSION: The prescriptive practice by nurses integrates health care and has been defended by the institutions that represent the category. It emerges as an important element of advanced practice and in the transformation of care in the context of health teams.