‘Appropriate Prescribing’ and Antimicrobial Stewardship were two of the key themes at a recent conference for healthcare professionals in the North-east who have prescribing responsibilities.
More than 120 nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals attended the sixth Non-Medical Prescribing Conference at Robert Gordon University (RGU) on Tuesday, September 22.
Funded by NHS Grampian and facilitated in collaboration with RGU, the free conference offered learning and networking opportunities for non-medical prescribers within Grampian.
The event, 'Managing the opportunities and Challenges of Non-Medical Prescribing,' was held in RGU’s Faculty of Health and Social at the university’s Garthdee campus.
The conference was opened by Rachel Unwin, RGU Adult Nursing lecturer, and offered Continuous Professional Development opportunities for those who attended.
Delegates also attended a series of presentations and workshops delivered by experts from academic and clinical backgrounds.
Linda Harper, associate senior lecturer at RGU and lead for non-medical prescribing at NHS Grampian, worked with the conference committee to organise an event which meets the needs of the healthcare community.
She said: “We were delighted to attract such a large number of delegates to the conference this year. It has developed and grown over the last six years and offers a good opportunity for non-medical prescribers to share experiences and best practice with each other.
“Our keynote speakers did a great job with their presentations and sparked a lot of discussion throughout the day.”
Dr Graeme Currie, Consultant Chest Physician at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, delivered the morning keynote address: ‘Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - an overview.’
Dr Clare Bostock from the the NHS Grampian Medication Safety Committee discussed appropriate prescribing during her afternoon keynote address.
Between presentations, delegates attended a morning and afternoon workshop selected from a choice of six on offer:
Controlled Drugs Workshop
- Pain management in Palliative Care
- Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Assessment – ‘Back to Basics’
- Legal and Ethical Issues of Prescribing
- Wound Management
Oncology and Uro-Oncology Gillian Macartney, a Specialist Antimicrobial Pharmacist in Grampian, also presented to conference after the workshops.
She addressed the latest changes to antimicrobial guidelines in NHS Grampian, national initiatives and the educational packages which are available through NHS Education for Scotland.
Nurses prescribing in the UK is now well established with evidence of improvements in access, patient safety and patient-centred care continue to strengthen the foundations underpinning the success of this practice.
For more information and to view the conference programme, please visit: www.rgu.ac.uk/events/non-medical-prescribing-conference-2015