Chris Otway

Whatever happened to joined up thinking

I remember back in those heady days of the new labour government that ‘joined up thinking’ was the answer to everything. On every debate programme or interview with a government minister we were led to believe that ‘joined up thinking’ would solve most of our problems. All this talk of ‘joined up thinking’ gave us the distinct impression that someone at the top had a ‘plan’.

A trainee prescriber's questions on interpreting the Extended Formulary

Lyn Fitzsimmons: In the article, ‘Ibuprofen for migraine: on prescription or over the counter?’ (Nurse Prescribing 2003; 1(3): 142), it was stated that extended formulary nurse prescribers cannot prescribe ibuprofen for migraine, because migraine is not a listed condition. However, ibuprofen is precribable under the Nurse Prescriber’s Formulary (NPF) for district nurses and health visitors, which extended nurse prescribers can also prescribe from. Are extended nurse prescribers only allowed to prescribe from the NPF for the medical conditions listed? If so, which condition are we supposed to prescribe catheter maintenance solution for? And can we not prescribe ibuprofen or paracetamol for a pyrexial child with a viral illness (viral illnesses and otitis media are not listed conditions and yet are commonest causes for pyrexia in children);? It seems to be an incredibly complicated system.