12 June, 2007

Enrolments are open for the NPS Pharmacy Practice Audit ‘Medication management in hypertension’ until Friday July 20. And for the first time, pharmacists and pre-registration pharmacists can enrol on-line!

Judith Mackson from the National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) said the audit was recognised for CPD (Continuing Professional Development) points by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia and the Australian Association of Consultant Pharmacy (8 credit points), as well as the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (4 hours).

“Hypertension is the most frequently managed problem in primary care, accounting for nearly 12 per cent of prescriptions issued. After completing the audit, pharmacists will be in a better position to identify patients for GP referral, Home Medicines Review and those who require assistance in taking their medicines,” Ms Mackson said.

“Feedback from previous participating pharmacists indicates that completing the audits will assist pharmacists in all practice settings to identify both drug and non-drug counselling points. The audits also assist pharmacists to review their use of direct questioning with patients about adherence, which does encourage patients to take their medicines as prescribed.”

Ms Mackson said the audit “offers an immediate quality improvement process through reflection on individual episodes of care. It is therefore a great opportunity to self-assess your abilities as a pharmacist against professional practice standards, and current good practice in the management of hypertension, to determine your learning needs. It also demonstrates a commitment to provide your patients with the best possible quality of care in medication management”.

The Pharmacy Practice Audit kit includes a summary of best practice for the management of hypertension, including quick reference guides for future use. Participants receive acomprehensive feedback report with results from their peers and expert commentary from a senior pharmacist.

To view a sample audit kit, find out more about NPS Pharmacy Practice Audits or to enrol online go to the NPS Health professional website. Completed forms must be received at NPS by Friday August 17, 2007.

ENDS

National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) is an independent, non-profit organisation for Quality Use of Medicines funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.