References
Costs and consequences of services provided by non-medical prescribers: a scoping review protocol

Abstract
Non-medical prescribing (NMP) is deemed to facilitate better patient care and timely access to medicine. This scoping review protocol is designed to explore and synthesise the evidence on costs and consequences of NMP services provided by non-medical healthcare professionals. This protocol is prepared based on the framework recommended by Arksey and O'Malley and further refined by Levac et al and the Joanna Briggs Institute. MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, ISI Web of Science and Google Scholar will be systematically searched. The search strategy will include both peer-reviewed and grey literature written in English from 1999 to 2021. The identified studies will be screened independently by two reviewers for final inclusion. The results will be reported in graphical form and descriptively. The findings of this scoping review will provide valuable insights for researchers and policy-makers to inform policy and practice around NMP.
The United States (US) first suggested proposals to allow nurse practitioners to prescribe medicines in the 1960s (Kroezen et al, 2011; Graham-Clarke et al, 2019). Nurse practitioners were introduced to support the needs of underserved rural communities and immigrants in the US by providing physical care and other necessities such as medicines and making referrals to physicians and cities' hospitals (Kroezen et al, 2011). Since then, these practising and prescribing roles have been gradually developed and extended to include a wider population of nurses and healthcare professionals in various countries (Courtenay et al, 2011; Kroezen et al, 2011). A series of legislative changes in the UK has enabled it to lead on pioneering changes supporting the expansion of prescribing to pharmacists and allied health professionals (AHPs) (Graham-Clarke et al, 2019).
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