Q: I have been working with some nurses from India. They say that they can prescribe medications to patients. Up to what level can they give medication to patients?

A:Nurses generally do NOT prescribe medicines, leaving this task to doctors. If, however, the nurse is in a situation where there is no doctor and if the medicine is such that the likelihood of harm from it is minimal, she may prescribe it to relieve the patients distress. An example is paracetamol for pain.