University News Last updated 11 April 2014
Birmingham City University's Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences welcomed Visiting Professor, Matt Griffiths earlier this week for his inaugural lecture discussing the changes in legislation which allow nurses and pharmacists to prescribe controlled drugs.
Despite the tightening of controlled drugs legislation following the exposure and conviction of Harold Shipman, Professor Griffiths' involvement in Department of Health working groups and lobbying the Home Office, have led to freedom for nurses and pharmacist prescribers to prescribe all controlled drugs.
The lecture, titled 'Nurse Prescribing – Maxi Nurse, not Mini Doctor' aimed to examine the history and development of nurse prescribing in the UK, which includes the opening up of prescribing from only eight prescription-only medicines to the entire British National Formulary.
Professor Griffiths also examined the future challenges, looking at public health concerns that all prescribers and healthcare professionals need to consider, the importance of medicines management in all areas of health and social care and the need for the extension of prescribing rights to other health care professionals.
Joy Hall, Head of Department for Public Health said: "The event was very well attended, and we had the privilege of having Baroness Cumberledge - who was instrumental in the development of non-medical prescribing - with us for the evening.
"Professor Griffiths was at the forefront of the fight for nurses to be given prescribing rights and he continues to do so. Most people nowadays have become familiar with nurses at their GP surgery being able to prescribe, this wasn't always the case. With the current and future focus of care being closer to home for patients within the community it is essential that nurses, midwives, appropriate allied health professionals and pharmacists are able to prescribe for patients."