Welcome to our first edition 

With many years of substance misuse nursing behind me and almost thirteen years as a Nurse Prescriber I have always relied heavily on the professional support of the National Substance Misuse NMP Forum to provide me with a source of information, support, and inspiration.

My earliest record of attendance dates to a meeting on November 9th, 2012, with a topic titled Clinical governance requirements to enable safe and effective non-medical prescribing. Safe and effective non-medical prescribing remains our core practice. It is the overarching message of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society A Competency Framework for All Prescribers (2022). The competency framework provides a clear structure on what good prescribing looks like and reminds us of the importance to always consider both non-pharmacological and pharmacological treatment approaches in clinical practice.

Without a doubt navigating clinical practice often involves confronting dilemmas and uncertainties. I was therefore thrilled to read the evaluation forms from our last educational meeting on April 26th, 2024, with a determined request from many respondents for a return to Prescribing Dilemmas – they were usually scenarios presented ahead of educational meetings for group discussion. I hoped that in addition to this we would also use the Newsletter to share clinical dilemmas and case studies. Therefore, allow me the opportunity to welcome you to our 1st edition.

I aim to have the Newsletter published soon after every educational meeting with a summary of the content that took place, links to further information, prescribing dilemmas, and case scenarios, the latter only possible with your contribution which no doubt will be forthcoming!

Anna Marie Felice RGN, RMN, NMP

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