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Prescribing Competencies FrameworkPrescribing Competencies Framework

Project Status

Are you interested in how medicines are prescribed? Have your say.

NPS is working with health professionals and consumers to develop a Prescribing Competencies Framework.

The initial draft is now available and we want to know what you think.

There are different ways to have your say.

  • Organisations have until 17 February 2012 to provide written feedback on the framework (consultation meetings have finished).
  • Health professionals can provide their feedback by completing a health professional online survey (focus groups for health professionals have finished). The survey is available until 29 February 2012.
  • Consumers can provide their feedback by completing a consumer online survey. The survey is available until 29 February 2012.
 

NPS is committed to facilitating the development of a prescribing competencies framework for Australian health professionals.

The following information provides detail about the prescribing competencies framework and the project dedicated to its development. If you or your organisation would like to be involved in this project, please express your interest by contacting us.

A message from Prof Chris Baggoley, Project Advisory Group Chair

NPS is facilitating a project to develop a prescribing competencies framework for all prescribers across Australia.

I encourage all health professionals and stakeholder organisations to actively support and participate in this project. This is an open process and we want to involve as many health professionals as possible from all the nationally-regulated professions. This is your opportunity to have your say about the competencies that are essential for safe and effective prescribing. This is essential for ensuring that patient safety and health remain the priority as our health system evolves to meet the challenges of modern health care.

While our focus is currently on developing the actual framework, I also urge you to consider how you and your profession will incorporate the framework into your daily practice, professional standards and registration and accreditation processes. This is where we will see the real impact of this project. 

I commend this project to you. No doubt this is a challenging task, but with the goodwill and cooperation from all the health professions, I am sure we can rise to the challenge.

I look forward to your involvement in this project.

Best wishes,

Chris Baggoley

Australian Government Chief Medical Officer
Department of Health and Ageing

Chair
Advisory Group
Prescribing Competencies Framework project

Project overview

All health professionals who have a right to independently prescribe medicines, regardless of their profession, need to be equipped with the right knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviours and values to make prescribing decisions that will facilitate the best possible health and economic outcomes for the consumer.

In order to achieve this, there is a need to develop an agreed framework that describes these competencies for health professionals working in Australia.

NPS is working with health professionals and stakeholder organisations to develop a competency framework to support Australian health professionals. The framework is a tool to help maintain safe and effective standards of prescribing. It will document the knowledge, skills, behaviours and values needed to make the right decisions when prescribing medicines.

We will be working with multiple health professions to develop the framework including:

  • Chiropractors
  • Dentists
  • Medical practitioners
  • Midwives
  • Nurses and nurse practitioners
  • Optometrists
  • Osteopaths
  • Pharmacists
  • Physiotherapists
  • Podiatrists
  • Psychologists
Various stakeholders will also be involved. These include:
  • Governments and government agencies
  • Professional associations, colleges or societies
  • Registration boards
  • Registration and accreditation councils
  • Representatives of employers
  • Unions
  • Education providers

Registration boards, accreditation councils and professional organisations, colleges and societies will be asked to consider how they can incorporate the framework into professional, registration and accreditation standards. Education providers will also be encouraged to include the framework in educational courses for professionals.

Project objectives

  1. To facilitate discussion and agreement among relevant stakeholders about the competencies that health professionals require to prescribe competently.
  2. To develop a core competency framework that documents the skills, knowledge, behaviours and values required to make safe and effective (competent) prescribing decisions.

Governance

Advisory group

An advisory group has been established to provide strategic advice on this project.

Member
 Organisation
Prof Chris Baggoley (Chair) Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health and Ageing
Ms Carol Bennett Consumers Health Forum
Dr Rosemary Bryant Chief Nurse and Midwifery Officer, Department of Health and Ageing
Prof Trish Dunning National Medicines Policy Committee
Dr Eleanor Chew
 Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Dr Andrew Knight NPS Board
Mr Pat Maher Health Workforce Australia
Mr Steve Marty Forum of National Board Chairs (Registration boards)
Dr John Primrose Department of Health and Ageing
Mr Chris Robertson
 Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency
Dr Michael Smith Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
Dr Lynn Weekes
 NPS: Better choices, Better health

Expert reference group

The expert reference group has been established to review and provide feedback on drafts of the framework throughout the project.

  • Ms Amanda Adrian
  • Emeritus Prof Felix Bochner
  • Dr Rosa Canalese
  • Dr Ian Coombes
  • Ms Margaret Duguid
  • Prof Sandra Dunn
  • Prof Albert Frauman
  • Prof Alastair Goss
  • Mr Darryn Marks
  • A/Prof Michael McCullough
  • A/Prof Lisa Nissen
  • Dr Jan Radford
  • A/Prof Mark Roth
  • Mr David Stokes
  • Mr Greg Weeks
  • Dr Sue Whicker
  • Dr Guan Yeo

 

Project timeline

Stage 1

May to June 2011
  • Establish advisory group for the project
  • Invite stakeholder organisations to participate in the project
  • Invite clinicians to participate in focus groups and interviews

Stage 2

July to October 2011
  • Gather and collate data from health professional focus groups
  • Develop draft 1 of the framework
  • Establish expert reference group
  • Advisory group and expert reference group review draft 1 of the framework

Stage 3

November 2011 to February 2012
  • Obtain feedback on draft 1 of the framework from stakeholder organisations
  • Collate data

Stage 4

Late January to February 2012
  • Obtain feedback on draft 1 of the framework from health professionals and consumers using online surveys 
  • Collate data

Stage 5

March to April 2012
  • Develop draft 2 of the framework
  • Advisory group and expert reference group review draft 2 of the framework
  • NPS review and approve the framework

Stage 6

May 2012
  • NPS release the framework

Stage 7

June 2012 to 2017
  • Stakeholder organisations incorporate the framework into their systems
  • Health professionals incorporate the framework into their practice

Need more information?

If you have questions, need more information, or would like to express your interest in being involved in the prescribing competencies framework project email or call us:

  • Ms Victoria Baker-Smith, Project Officer 02 8217 8794
  • Dr Michelle Koo, Manager, Educational Design and Support 02 8217 8742.

Date published: 2011-07-18 00:00:00

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