15 February 2006

National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) is calling for entries from the health industry, including government, the private health industry, and the medicines industry who have demonstrated best practice and leadership in promulgating Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) principles to enter the 2006 National QUM Awards.

Celebrating excellence in QUM, these biennial awards recognise the originators of QUM work and the contribution of health professionals, the community, students, consumers, pharmaceutical companies, government, the health industry and the media to achieving better use of medicines.

In the Health Industry Category entries can include initiatives that are current or have been completed within the last two years.

The National QUM Awards will be presented at the National Medicines Symposium dinner at Parliament House Canberra on Thursday 8 June 2006.

QUM principles are:

• Selecting management options wisely
• Choosing suitable medicines if a medicine is considered necessary
• Using medicines safely and effectively

Entry details are available at www.nps.org.au/events and close on 6 April 2006.

Further information can be obtained by contacting Prue Phillips at NPS on 02 8217 8700 or email.

Previous recipients of the QUM Awards Health Industry Category are GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare for Panadol: Leading the OTC market place with consumer focused labeling and Australian Self-Medication Industry for Development of a labeling Code of Practice and Guidelines for Consumer-Focused Labeling.

ENDS

National Prescribing Service Ltd provides independent, evidence-based information and services to health professionals and the community on Quality Use of Medicines (QUM). To achieve this we work in partnership with GPs, pharmacists, specialists, other health professionals, Government, pharmaceutical industry, consumer organisations and the community. NPS is an independent, non-profit organisation funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.