Welcome to this February issue of the Journal of Prescribing Practice. Hello and a Happy New Year from me!
I wonder if, like me, you are still trying to come to terms with writing the date as 2025. I think the older I get, the longer it takes me to get used to the New Year! It brings, yet again, a new cohort of students, and I find I'm quickly back into the swing of things but also that time seems to move fast. This year is my fourth round of revalidation and I'm now in the midst of collecting evidence, filling out logs and reflecting on my last three years of practice and development in readiness for my reflective discussion and confirmation process.
I know many people find revalidation a chore and put it off as long as possible, ending up with a rush to meet the deadline (the NMC have kindly sent advanced reminders, so I won't forget!) and ensure continuity on the register. I find the whole thing quite cathartic and actively enjoy the process of reflection. I feel it really reminds me of where I have come from to get to where I am today, and helps me with planning and goal-setting for the future.
In the process of reviewing things, I find that this year will see me as a registered general nurse for 33 years and therefore 36 years in nursing as a whole. This means 3/5 of my life has been dedicated to being a nurse in some capacity. I am now in my 22nd year of NMP education and can look back over the many, many changes that have come about since its inception.
The first nurse prescriber training roll-out was in 1998, when suitably qualified district nurses, health visitors and community midwives could train to prescribe from a limited formulary. The move from just nurses and midwives in the community to nurses and midwives in other settings came next in the early 2000s, then the move to include pharmacists, optometrists, physiotherapists and podiatrists.
The change from supplementary to independent prescribing for these groups swiftly followed. The ability to prescribe from the whole BNF led to the move to include other professions such as radiographers, paramedics and dietitians. The inclusion of unlicensed medicines and controlled drugs for some was welcomed as it fitted with the scope of many prescribers.
It is evident we have come a long way since the community formulary and limited conditions to be treated. Of course, we cannot forget that we still have our medical and dental colleagues who can prescribe as well. This means we have a wealth of talented and experienced individuals in our NHS and private and voluntary sectors who are able to prescribe medicines quickly and efficiently to patients, in appropriate circumstances. This was one of the main drivers for non-medical prescribing back in the 1980s–1990s and I think we can say we have achieved this, and much more besides.
I hope you find this month's issue interesting and informative, and that you enjoy reading our range of content.