Nurse Prescribing

The launch was accompanied by a major publicity campaign with articles and news pieces in most major professional journals. GPs and community pharmacists were particularly targeted during the launch and asked to write into the NPC if they required personal copies of the document. The level of personal interest from both GPs and community pharmacists proved high and over 2300 additional copies were dispatched, by the NPC, between September 1998 and March 1999.

Due to the continued high level of interest and demand a further 2000 copies were printed which continue to be distributed to relevant interested parties. Most recently this has included all the new primary care group chief executives. In all over 6700 copies have now been distributed.

Prescribing Nurse Support (Part 2) - Direct Training

he second part of the project commenced in March 1999 with the recruitment of a project manager. This part of the project aims to initially deliver 16 one-day seminars (two per NHS region); between June and November 1999, on

`Developing and Supporting Nurse Prescribing'. The events are to be aimed at trust, health authority and primary care group senior managers and professionals with local responsibility for nurse prescribing, and will raise issues they need to be aware of in nurse prescribing development. (see also Information on Medicines section)

Supporting the management of CFC-free inhalers into the NHS

detailed resource document was produced during 1997/98 on the management, by the NHS, of the switch to CFC-free metered dose inhalers for asthma. This management in-confidence paper provided timely information and raised key

issues to be considered when planning the change from CFC-containing to CFC-free inhalers. Updates on the timetable for launch of individual CFC-Free products continued to be distributed to key decision-makers during 1998.

Information Resource documents

hese continued to be produced and disseminated to provide useful ad hoc information for health authority prescribing advisers and other key professionals within the NHS (see also Information on Medicines section).