PRESCRIPTION OF HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES BY PRIMARY CARE NURSES

Introduction: The prescription of medications by nurses is included in the Advanced Practice Nursing, which is an expanded model of procedures for nurses. In Brazil, it hás been developed with the advent of the National Health System, the increment of Primary Care and the Family Health Strategy, that has increased the scope of action of nurses. However, the prescription of contraceptives remains restricted to physicians. Contraception in Brazil presents great inequalities with structural and attitudinal problems that highlight the need to rethink the practice of prescribing contraceptives, including this action in the nursing practice roster. Objective: Develop a health care flow chart for nurses to prescribe reversible contraceptives, hormonal and nonhormonal. Method: This is an experience report on the development of a flow chart to support the prescription of reversible contraceptives by primary care nurses. Results and Discussion: The prescription of medications by nurses, including contraceptives, occurs in several countries, successfully, through Advanced Practice Nursing. The designed flowchart describes the steps that nurses have to take to prescribe hormonal reversible contraceptives. For its development various renowned documents about reproductive planning were used, both national and international, and comprehensive care to women was respected. Conclusion: The prescription of hormonal contraceptives by nurses must be inserted in guiding documents and validated by government representatives. The prescription of contraceptives by nurses is one of the measures to expand access to these medications, as well as a powerful tool for strengthening public health.