‘Preparing to Prescribe’ a free online implementation tool kit for non-medical prescribers.
Preparing to prescribe is a Surrey Implementation toolkit™ that provides resources for healthcare professionals, non-medical prescribing leads, service and provider organisations, commissioners, and Universities to support implementation of non-medical prescribing in practice.
Over 122,000 nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals (including dietitians, optometrists, paramedics, physiotherapists, podiatrists and radiographers) are able to prescribe medicines in the UK. Non-medical prescribing (NMP) provides organisations with the ability to improve productivity and quality of patient care. However, there are on-going concerns about levels of support, governance structures and barriers caused by organisational and policy restrictions. To optimise uptake and use of non-medical prescribing, it is important to improve understanding of the role requirements and how to manage barriers.
Preparing to prescribe is the first of a series of prescribing implementation toolkits and resources for healthcare professionals, non-medical prescribing leads, service and provider organisations, commissioners, and Universities to support implementation of non-medical prescribing in practice. The ‘Preparing to prescribe’ toolkit consists of questions, signposting and links to current guidance and is designed to support those who wish to become a non-medical prescriber and enhance their knowledge of the role requirements.
The toolkit and resources are available on the NHS Learning Hub which you need to create an account for and is free to sign up to.
The idea for the prescribing implementation toolkits was inspired by over a decade of work on non-medical prescribing. A team lead by Professor Nicola Carey and Dr Karen Stenner brought together NMP leads, educators, researchers and policy makers, with representation for nursing, pharmacy and allied health professions to inform the content and structure of the toolkits.
Primarily designed to be used across the UK, the ‘Preparing to Prescribe’ implementation toolkit resources can be used to inform development of non-medical prescribing in other countries. Patients and carers and other medical professionals may also find the tool kit useful.
