Are any other of the non-medical prescribers involved in forums specifically related to substance misuse? Or any other support mechanisms except here?

Dylan
Some local NTA offices are having mettings and ANSA is looking to put a forum on the website.
Their was some other forums
prescriber support and another one but was not really for our field and you are morelikely to find someone on this site. I mafe my own forum but nobody went on it so was pointless.
We are a small bunch feel free to e mail me my e mail address is in my profile.
Are you prescribing now?

I heard something about a London one a while ago and know they organised a day meeting which I couldn't attend - haven't heard anything since. The organiser was Caroline Frain - nurse consultant CNWL; I think. As Simon says there isn't much going on.

Beverley,
Yes I remember I got an invite but it was only a couple of days before. The prospect of paying £195 for the train fare also put me off.

hi dylan,
i'd be very glad if you all stayed on this forum, because we are all working together and need to learn from each other and as simon says your numbers are still smallish. also there are service users and all sorts of people who look at this site and they all need to know that you exist and the struggles, difficulties and excitements that you cpome across are generally very relevent to all of us.
thanks to all of you. I am delighted that you exist.

Judith,
Thanks for the kind words. It would be nice to look at ways of getting the information to the Nurses that this site exists as not many new Nurses are posting so we don't know who they are and what is happening. The other two Nurses who work with me have started the course this week in sheffield, wonder if I might be able to go part-time and take up fly-fishing.

Thanks Judith. The novelty of signing scripts soon wears off 2 1/2 years on and having signed a few thousand - so glad they don't have to be hand written any more!

Hi Dylan

I am part of the NTA's non medical prescribing forum held at NTA regional headquarters in Leeds, Yorkshire. We meet quarterly to discuss all matters related to prescribing, including CMPs, local and national policy and so on.

Recently, we have begun to hold CPD sessions in between these other meetings.

The great thing about the meetings for me, is the chance to discuss prescribing as it relates to substance misuse. When I did my course, the content was very generic. Though valuable, the opportunity to talk and share with fellow prescribers in the field is not only important, but necessary.

Perhaps the London office could start something similar.

Regards

Louise

Sherring Plough are offering to organise and fund support for us in London - plan is for an evening conference probably in January with dinner and a couple of speakers, and arrange ongoing meetings from there depending on interest. Any comments?

On this subject, can anyone send me a copy of a job description/person spec. for a primary care based nurse offing NMP for substance misuse? Also any CMP example would be great. We really should put together a Handbook/Practical Clinical Guidance for new (and old) practitioners. Any update on the NTA's work?
Thanks
Jane

You are welcome to mine if you give me your email address. The NTA asked me to look at protocols for NMP a year or so back then I never heard any more - they don't seem to have much involvement in NMP these days.

Thanks, Beverley. My e-mail address is in my profile.

Jane]

GOOD NEWS! The NTA have prettyf much finalised publication of the good practice briefing on NMP and we hope to have printed versions ready for at least some of the guidelines dissemination events in Nov-Jan. As you may know, we lost our clinical team nurse, Mike Bell, when he was in the middle of writing it and in fact the new postholder, Kerry Webb only started last week. Our pharmacist Marion Walker has been handed the task of finishing it, even though she only works one day a week for the NTA. Hope that's explained the delay, and that you will enjoy/benefit from reading it when its out

Mike Bell had asked me and a few others to comment on it when it was in draft, but I never got to see it and don't think anyone else did either.

Beverley,
Yes Mike came to visit me also and I chipped in a few comments.
I have to say Kerry Webb is very good!

I have just had the following in an email from Marion W:

"The NMP /PGD/MAS document is finished and has been formatted - it is just getting final tweaking to layout and should be out soon.

I have included contact details of the national non-medical prescribing substance misuse steering group as well as smmgp network. The aim of the NNMPSMS group is to have meetings alternating between north and south."