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Appendix 1
NAMHP Prescribing Policy
An NMAHP Prescribing Policy at NHS board level should address the following issues and items.
How the NMAHP prescribing service can contribute to meeting patient and service needs:
- an assessment of local service needs, detailing for which patient groups or conditions NMAHP prescribing will be appropriate.
Governance, line-management and resourcing issues:
- a clearly defined line-management structure for individual NMAHP prescribers and an identified overall manager for NMAHP prescribing at strategic level;
- the development of a database of registered NMAHP prescribers in the NHS board; the database should detail not only who they are and where they practise, but also in which particular clinical areas they have specialised; it should also track movement of prescribers within organisations;
- a process for dissemination of Hazard Warnings, Safety Action Notices and other alerts to NMAHP prescribers;
- transparent budgeting and resourcing mechanisms.
Articulation of the NMAHP Prescribing Policy with other board polices and structures:
- how the NMAHP Prescribing Policy dovetails with the local Medicines Management Policy, the Area Drug and Therapeutics Committee and other relevant bodies and policies - a mapping exercise to indentify the issues with which the NMAHP Prescribing Policy must articulate would be a good starting point.
Candidate selection, preparation and integration into the service:
- criteria for selection of candidates for NMAHP prescribing education programmes, taking account of the parameters defined by the NMC and HPC and detailing joint working procedures with higher education institutions (the Guidance for Nurse Independent Prescribers document sets out advice on selection that may also be applicable to AHPs- see pp 9-11);
- procedures to ensure availability of designated medical prescribers and mentors to support trainees through their programmes;
- procedures for initiating the Notification of Practice procedure for trainees successfully exiting the education programme;
- procedures for notifying those who "need to know" about the trainees' new status as NMAHP prescribers.
Mechanisms for informing patients, the public and health professionals about the service:
- mechanisms for educating the public and fellow-professionals about NMAHP prescribing and keeping them informed about developments.
Ongoing support for the service and NMAHP prescribers:
- a robust process for auditing practice, monitoring quality and focusing on near misses and adverse events;
- processes to ensure ongoing support, supervision and education for existing NMAHP prescribers.
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