Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö Social- och hälsovårdsministeriet

Nurses get limited right to prescribe medication to patients in their care

It is proposed that nurses are given a limited right to prescribe drugs to the patients they treat at nurses' clinics. The requirements include an employment relationship with the health centre, necessary further training, and an authorisation from the physician-in-charge. The limited prescribing right applies only to medication for specific medical conditions.

The swine influenza epidemic is declining - new cases are expected to emerge all through the winter

The peak of the influenza A(H1N1)v infections, i.e. swine influenza epidemic has been passed everywhere in Finland. The numbers of influenza patients treated in health centres, hospitals and intensive care departments have dropped to the usual levels during the cold season.

The epidemic is declining as a result of vaccinations

The swine influenza vaccinations have affected the course of the epidemic and relieved the burden of hospitals in Finland. They have ensured the functioning of health care services, protected the most vulnerable part of the population and curbed the spread of the epidemic.