9 June 2006

Projects pioneered in inner city Sydney and the remote Kimberley region of WA were amongthe winners of the National QUM Awards 2006 presented at an awards ceremony held at Parliament House, Canberra, last night.

The winning projects showed diversity, as they applied Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) principles to treatment of depression, cancer and chronic diseases, and researched the views of those working on the ground in QUM, and anticoagulants.

‘These biennial awards recognise the achievements of stakeholders in integrating QUM principles in their everyday activities,’ Dr Lynn Weekes, CEO of NPS, said.

The National QUM Awards are an initiative of the National Prescribing Service Ltd (NPS) and the Pharmaceutical Health And Rational use of Medicines (PHARM) Committee in recognition of the achievements of a variety of projects, programs and activities within the QUM sector.

QUM is one of the central objectives of Australia's National Medicines Policy. QUM means selecting management options wisely, choosing suitable medicines if a medicine is considered necessary; and using medicines safely and effectively.

The definition of QUM applies equally to decisions about medicine use by individuals and decisions that affect the health of the population.

‘The high quality of submissions gave the judging panel quite a challenge, and highly commended awards have been given in almost all categories.

‘The poster award was particularly challenging, with two special mentions made, in addition to the awards of highly commended and winner,’ Dr Weekes said.

No award was given in the media category, as the entries, while of a high quality, did not show sufficient QUM focus and and/or did not fully address the criteria.

The winners

Health Professional QUM Award

Winner – The NSW Cancer Institute and St Vincent Hospital for the project ‘CI-SCaT-TheCancer Institute NSW Standard Treatment Program’. Accepted by Professor Robyn Ward.

Highly commended - WA Country Health / Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Council /Kimberley Division of General Practice, for the project ‘Kimberley Standard Drug List & Chronic Disease Strategy’. Accepted by Henry Councillor.

Community QUM Award

Winner – Multicultural Mental Health Australia, for the project ‘No more 'mualagh' -Depression Medication Project’. Accepted by Meg Griffiths.

Highly commended - Katherine West Health Board Aboriginal Corporation for the project‘Safer Use of Medicines - Engaging Consumers’. Accepted by Jill McDonald.

Health Industry QUM Award

Winner - The Pharmaceutical Alliance (Eli Lilly Australia, GlaxoSmithKline and Merck Sharp & Dohme), for the project ‘Views of Quality Use of Medicines’. Accepted by Zarli French.

Student QUM Award

Winner - Luke Bereznicki, from the Tasmanian School of Pharmacy, for the project ‘Improving the quality use of anticoagulants in clinical practice’.

Highly commended – Kay McCauley, from the Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, for the project ‘The National Register of Antipsychotic Medication in Pregnancy (N-RAMP)’

NMS 2006 Poster Presentation

Winner - Jodie Hillen, Elizabeth Roughead, Andrew Gilbert, Debra Rowett, Roshmeen Azam, Simone Rossi, Christopher Alderman, Nigel Stocks, for the poster ‘Data-driven patient-specific prescriber feedback; the Veterans’ MATES project, Quality Use of Medicines & Pharmacy research Centre, Sansom Institute, University of South Australia’.

Highly commended - Patricia M Derrick, of the Mallee Division of General Practice, for the project ‘Managing Medicines in the Mallee: a rural community QUM project’.

The awards ceremony was held in conjunction with the National Medicines Symposium 2006 which concludes today.

ENDS

National Prescribing Service Ltd (NPS)