Historically, patients have relied on physicians and dentists to prescribe medications, order laboratory tests, and conduct or supervise procedures consistent with the patients' diagnoses. More recently, prescribing privileges have been extended to other healthcare professionals, such as nurse practitioners, nurses with an expanded scope of practice, clinical nurse specialists, registered midwives, dieticians, podiatrists, optometrists, and, in many jurisdictions, pharmacists. The impetus for these advanced professional roles is to improve patients' access to care, by optimizing the roles of healthcare providers.
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