19 January 2006

The 8th Evaluation report, Progress, achievements and future directions, outlines the outcomes that National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) is achieving through its activities and services for health professionals and consumers.

“We have seen increased participation by health professionals in quality improvement activities, changes in prescribing trends consistent with our key messages, and signs that consumers are taking a more active role in the management of their medicines,” said Dr Stephen Phillips NPS Chair and Queensland GP.

“NPS is widely acknowledged as having made a strong contribution to the increased awareness of Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) – selecting management options wisely; choosing suitable medicines if considered necessary and using medicines safely and effectively. Much of this has been led by our intense focus on reaching GPs with educational activities and information resources that help them to make more informed prescribing decisions.

“Consistent with our work, we are starting to see real changes in prescribing trends. These can most clearly be seen in the programs related to antibiotics, non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs and low-dose thiazide diuretics.

“We are also seeing changes in consumer-reported behaviour in relation to the role they are taking in their medicines management, particularly in relation to new medicines. This is in line with the key messages of the consumers program - Get to know your medicines,” Dr Phillips concluded.

In the most recent year ending July 2005, over 10 000 individual GPs had participated by choice in a range of NPS activities such as case studies and clinical audits as well as local activities in partnership with the divisions of general practice.

Consumers are now more likely to ask questions of their health professionals. Questions asked of GPs at the time a new medicine is prescribed has risen from 48% in 1999 to 55% in 2005. In relation to questions asked of pharmacists at the time of dispensing of a new medicines this has increased from 16% to 33% over the same period.

For more information about the impact NPS is having on QUM, download a copy of the NPS 8th Evaluation report at the NPS website (www.nps.org.au/media). Follow the link provided in the top right hand box, “latest evaluation reports”.

ENDS

National Prescribing Service Ltd (NPS) 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.