Los enfermeros y el acceso al medicamento

The publication, at the end of 2015, of Royal Decree 954/2015, of 23 October, on indication, use and authorization to dispatch medicinal products and medical devices for human use by nurses has opened again the debate about the participation of these healthcare professionals in the various procedures through which patients have access to medicines. The issue is a complex one, as one may deduct from the fact that almost 10 years have lapsed since the Law contemplated that the Government would regulate this matter until the final approval of this Royal Decree. This paper aims to situate the new Royal Decree in its historical and regulatory context, and to help answer some of the questions that its provisions have raised.