Book excerpt: District and community nursing are unique roles within healthcare practice. When visiting patients in their own homes or in residential care homes, district nurses are required to deal with a range of health and social care needs, often in unpredictable and changing environments. As part of the increasingly complex care district nurses offer to patients, independent prescribing can also enable a timely and effective response to providing patient-centred care. This book is specifically aimed at district nurses undertaking independent prescribing within the complexity of contemporary primary health care. It will help district nurses build on the skills and practice they have developed as community nurse prescribers as they develop into the independent prescribing role. District nurses also need to consider autonomous decision making in prescribing practice whilst prescribing as part of a wider health care team, supporting patients to self-manage and considering individual patient and family factors to maintain wellbeing and positive outcomes. Bringing together a range of specialist authors, the book covers the theoretical knowledge and context associated with independent prescribing, enabling district nurses to practice competently and confidently to deliver clinically effective, person-centred care. It offers a complete overview for those taking an independent nurse prescribing course as well as district nurses who have already qualified as independent prescribers.