‘I am just too old for all this…’

Nearly 10 years ago, following the launch of the Keogh Report (2013), I was encouraged by my peers to embark on a Non-Medical Prescribing Course (V300). ‘Why?’, I asked, and found every excuse under the sun not to commit to the V300. I worked directly with doctors and dentists who saw our patients face-to-face and prescribing was their role, not mine. So why would I need to put myself through this extra learning and cost, and, more importantly, would it improve any of my patient care pathways and, essentially, improve patient safety?

On reflection, after my primary Registered General Nurse (RGN) qualification, I have found that the successful completion of the V300 is one of the single most important qualifications that I have undertaken. It is pivotal to keeping my patients safe and providing continuity of patient care, and I have since underpinned it with so much more knowledge around pharmacology, product characteristics, law, consent and ethics—all of which are included in the course. I urge anyone who has not, to apply and complete the V300. Indeed, if you are running a nurse-led practice then it is, in my opinion, a mandatory requirement.