21 August 2006

GPs will be better equipped to make difficult decisions about how best to treat their patients through independent research into their prescribing habits. National Prescribing Service (NPS) today announced two new research projects into ‘Understanding and improving prescribing practice’ and ‘Improving the uptake of evidence-based medicine information and decision support’.

Doctors’ decisions about how best to treat patients are influenced by a range of factors including the patient’s need, the availability of reliable information about the effectiveness and safety of medicines, and exposure to the opinions of colleagues, experts and pharmaceutical companies. Even with recent improvements in the dissemination and uptake of evidence into practice, there remains significant variation in prescribing practice and a resistance to changing practice among some doctors.

Professor Sue Tett, Professor Wayne Hall, Professor Claire Jackson and Professor Desley Hegney head the successful team at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Queensland to partner with NPS in research into ‘Understanding and improving prescribing practice’. Dr Jane Robertson, Dr David Newby and Dr Sallie Pearson from the Universities of Newcastle and NSW will work with NPS on ‘Improving the uptake of evidence based medicine information and decision support’.

“This research will not only provide a better understanding of what works and doesn’t work to improve medicine prescribing and use but we are looking for innovative models to assist GPs in decision making around prescribing.

Ultimately the research will improve patient management and reduce the impact of disease on patients”, said Dr Lynn Weekes CEO, NPS.

“We are primarily interested in understanding the influences on prescribers including factors affecting the awareness and uptake of ‘new medicines’, adds Professor Sue Tett. “Further objectives are to investigate patterns of medicine use by practitioners and to identify and test interventions that increase appropriate, evidence-based, safe and cost-effective prescription of medicines.”

The research partners at Universities of Newcastle and NSW are aiming to understand factors which influence the decisions by clinicians to access and use evidence-based medicine information.

“There is no shortage of information available to doctors. The challenge is identifying what is really useful to busy clinicians and providing it in formats that are readily accessible and easy to use”, said Dr Robertson. “Our project will look at information sources and decision support both in paper and electronic format. After we have a more complete understanding of what has already been done in this area, we will talk to practicing clinicians about their needs and engage them in helping us design interventions that will improve access and uptake of evidence-based medicine information.”

NPS will provide funding for a post doctoral position in both institutions. The research partners were selected following a national competitive process. The research will increase the understanding of how to promote and improve Quality Use of Medicines and will help to build a body of evidence that will ultimately improve health of all Australians.

ENDS

National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) is an independent, non-profit organisation for Quality Use of Medicines. We provide accurate, balanced, evidence-based information and services to help people choose if, when and how to use medicines to improve their health and well-being. We are member-based and work in partnership with health professionals, government, pharmaceutical industry and consumers. NPS is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.