7 February 2007

The National Prescribing Service (NPS) has combined with three major universities to develop a range of online modules promoting inter-professional learning for undergraduates across the health professions on Quality Use of Medicines (QUM).

Medical experts, educators and researchers from the University of South Australia, University of Queensland, and University of Canberra have applied their different academic experience ensuring the new inter-professional learning activities cover a comprehensive range of health priority areas.

“The main goal of these new modules is to allow students from health professions to build relationships, learn from one another, and develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable health professionals to understand the complexities of multi-disciplinary health care teams. These abilities are beneficial to patients, professional practices and personal development,” said Pauline Hill, Senior lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of South Australia.

“Students are required to indentify their own profession’s possible contributions to a better health outcome for the patients, identify their own professional strengths, and apply evidence based practice with the experience of working with other health professionals,” said Dr Lisa Nissen, Senior Lecturer, School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland.

The National Prescribing Service currently provides Australian universities access to a number of online modules facilitating good prescribing practices in trainee and junior health professional practitioners.

The new inter-professional modules will further broaden the range of online resources available to students in health care; increase their awareness of QUM in relation to key health areas; and importantly promote inter-professional relationships between all health students across Australia, including in rural and remote areas.

“The chance to develop these tools within an online environment also addresses the needs of rural and remote students who might otherwise not get the opportunity to communicate in this way with other members of the healthcare teams and so provides significant innovation within interdisciplinary teaching,” said Associate Professor Gabrielle Cooper, Course Convenor Master of Pharmacy, University of Canberra.

The inter-professional module will be available for web delivery across a variety of platforms from July 2007.

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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.