This 14th Annual Evaluation Report provides an overview of our progress and key achievements for the 2010–11 financial year, as well as our ongoing contribution towards improving health and economic outcomes for all Australians. The information contained in this report is used to guide decisions about our future work.

Key findings in the Annual Evaluation Report 2010–11 include:

Reaching Health Professionals

• 22,580 health professionals — including general practitioners (GPs), pharmacists/interns and nurses — completed NPS educational and quality improvement activities.
• 57% of the general practitioner (GP) workforce in Australia actively participated in NPS activities across all 112 general practice networks.
• The number of nurse, pharmacist and pharmacist intern participants increased from 2009–10 to 2010–11.
• Increasing numbers of health professional students are participating in the NPS National Prescribing Curriculum online learning modules.
• A pre-intervention GP survey for acute low back pain highlighted the potential for significant educational activities for both health professionals and consumers.

Reaching Consumers

• A challenge for NPS is to continue to increase our profile and awareness of quality use of medicines and medical tests (QUMMT) among consumers. The NPS National consumer survey 2010 found that 25% of respondents were aware of NPS and that key QUM educational messages needed further reinforcement.
• Evaluation results following education seminars for our priority communities, such as seniors, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, showed some increase in confidence, knowledge and intent to change behaviour in relation to QUM issues.
  

The longer-term impact of our work

• The 2008 Early use of insulin and oral antidiabetic drugs program, in line with evidence-based key messages, is estimated to have led to a 7% relative increase in prescribing for insulin in 2008 (comparing prescribing rates with and without NPS intervention) and a further 11% in 2009.
• The Preventing osteoporosis and reducing fracture risk program in 2007 was found to have resulted in a small, but not statistically significant relative reduction in GP prescribing for bisphosphonates. However, bisphosphonates expenditure analysis for 2009–10 found that GP participation in our interventions for osteoporosis was associated with an 8% relative decrease in modelled PBS expenditure on bisphosphonates.

• The 14th Annual Evaluation Report - Main document
  
• Chapter 2 – Evaluation approach at NPS
• Chapter 3 – Reaching health professionals
• Chapter 4 – Reaching consumers
• Chapter 5 – Priority communities
• Chapter 6 – Improving the use of medicines for the management of type 2 diabetes
• Chapter 7 – Improving the use of medicines for the management of osteoporosis
• Chapter 8 – Appropriate use of medical tests
• Chapter 9 – Research into quality use of medicines and medical testing
• Chapter 10 – Recommendations
• Appendices