CD changes promised by end of October
October 20, 2011 by admin
The Home Office says it is finalising the long-planned regulatory changes to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 about controlled drugs (see here and here) and that the appropriate statutory instrument will be laid before parliament by the end of October. The changes would then be expected to come into effect in November.
The most recent parliamentary answer can be seen here and Fiona Culley of the NMC told the ANP at its annual meeting on 19 October that she had received similar assurances from the Home Office. Professor Matt Griffiths, who has been pursuing this matter over the years, has told the ANP that he, too, has been given this information. So…..watch this space!
Better job satisfaction but more stress: prescribing in general practice?
October 20, 2011 by admin
Independent prescribing increased job satisfaction for nurse practitioners working in general practice but also increased the levels of work-related stress, according to this small study involving interviews with six nurse practitioners working in a busy inner city general practice.
Cousins R and Donnell C. Nurse prescribing in general practice: a qualitative study indicates increased job satisfaction and work-related stress. Fam Pract 2011; published 28 September online ahead of print.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmr077.
NPC seeks non-medical prescribers
October 20, 2011 by admin
The NPC is looking for active non-medical prescribers to help it validate a draft of a new generic competency framework for all prescribers, including doctors. It will be holding focus groups on the framework on 8 November in London and 28 November in Liverpool and would like to hear from interested nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, podiatrists, radiographers and optometrists. See here for more information.
DH consults on independent prescribing by podiatrists and physiotherapists
October 20, 2011 by admin
Should independent prescribing be extended to podiatrists and physiotherapists? The Department of Health and MHRA have published two consultations with these proposals, which can be found here. The deadline for responses to both is 8 December 2011.
The physiotherapist consultation proposes that physiotherapists can become independent prescribers and that physiotherapist independent prescribers should be able to mix medicines before administration, and direct others to do so, and to prescribe some specified controlled drugs independently. Those physiotherapists who are currently supplementary prescribers would have to undergo additional training to become independent prescribers. The proposals would need changes to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, as well as to the Medicines Act 1968. Independent prescribing of unlicensed medicines is not included in either document.
The consultation sets out the list of options, ranging from prescribing for any condition from the complete formulary, to prescribing for specified conditions from a specified formulary. The proposals for podiatrists are similar and both consultations give examples of areas where independent prescribing could be useful.
An analysis of the responses to last year’s engagement exercise (see here) is included in the consultations, and shows a lot of support for the option of prescribing for any condition from the full formulary (option 5). The most limited extension - independent prescribing for specified conditions from a specified formulary - found support with the BMA and the Royal College of Physicians, among others. The more limited versions are likely to require frequent revisions to the lists of conditions and/or formularies, a process that those nurses who were prescribing before the formulary was opened up will remember only too well!
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