Hello and welcome to the National Substance Misuse Non-Medical Prescriber Forum.
This forum was established many years ago with the aim of providing a peer support network and learning opportunities for NMPs who had chosen to specialise in substance misuse. At its inception, numbers were small, with NMPs only able to prescribe controlled drugs as supplementary prescribers. Over the years, we have seen many changes in this field of medicine and now find ourselves in a situation whereby the majority of independent prescribers actively working in substance misuse are now NMPs. As such, the forum has become more and more important.
The forum’s membership is also its strength as NMPs come together from all sectors, including (but not limited to) the NHS, specialist third sector providers, secure environments, research and academia. All are welcome, and this diverse mix of prescribers allows for sharing of best practice and new ideas at educational meetings. There is a wealth of experience here. The forum has provided a number of opportunities for NMPs in this field to learn from experts and from each other. As in so many areas of life, the recent pandemic has frustrated efforts to do this as much as we would like, but we are now back and eager to take this forward again. We are now working together with our colleagues at Addiction Professionals who are supporting us to run educational meetings and events.
So, why not sign up? There is no charge. It will allow us to send you news and information about upcoming events.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Kevin Ratcliffe
Chair of the NSMNMPF
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Newsletters
Welcome to our first edition
With many years of substance misuse nursing behind me and almost thirteen years as a Nurse Prescriber I have always relied heavily on the professional support of the National Substance Misuse NMP Forum to provide me with a source of information, support, and inspiration.
My earliest record of attendance dates to a meeting on November 9th, 2012, with a topic titled Clinical governance requirements to enable safe and effective non-medical prescribing. Safe and effective non-medical prescribing remains our core practice. It is the overarching message of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society A Competency Framework for All Prescribers (2022). The competency framework provides a clear structure on what good prescribing looks like and reminds us of the importance to always consider both non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment approaches in clinical practice.
Without a doubt navigating clinical practice often involves confronting dilemmas and uncertainties. I was therefore thrilled to read the evaluation forms from our last educational meeting on April 26th, 2024, with a determined request from many respondents for a return to Prescribing Dilemmas – they were usually scenarios presented ahead of educational meetings for group discussion. I hoped that in addition to this we would also use the Newsletter to share clinical dilemmas and case studies. Therefore, allow me the opportunity to welcome you to our 1st edition.
I aim to have the Newsletter published soon after every educational meeting with a summary of the content that took place, links to further information, prescribing dilemmas, and case scenarios, the latter only possible with your contribution which no doubt will be forthcoming!
Anna Marie Felice RGN, RMN, NMP