Introducing nurse prescribing in a substance misuse treatment service

Abstract

In this article, a project commissioned by a drug and alcohol action team in the south west of England is described. The project brief is to implement non-medical prescribing (NMP) within a substance misuse treatment service in order to increase flexibility of resources for delivery of care. All nurses working within the substance misuse service who are paid at agenda for change band 6 are involved in delivery ( NHS Careers, 2012 ). It is the intention that all will take on a prescribing role, which will introduce more than 10 non-medical prescribers. The project is linked to a strategically led service redesign; one of the aims of which is to improve access to the substance misuse service in isolated rural areas ( Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust and Drug and Alcohol Action Team, 2010 ). This article outlines the background for the change; the strategies used to implement the project, particularly those used to motivate and involve participants including users of services; and the agreed deliverables. It concludes with a critical evaluation of the project progress to date, together with an outline of how the new arrangements will be sustained and measured, and lessons learned for future similar projects. The project, which started life as a NMP project, has been developed in to an overarching ‘prescribing project’. An additional benefit of the project has been increased engagement and acceptance of change.