About us

NPS MedicineWise was established in 1998 as the National Prescribing Service (NPS) Limited. Through two decades of continuous national leadership and services provided in the health sector, NPS MedicineWise remains committed to supporting quality use of medicines to improve health decisions and health and economic outcomes in Australia.

Independent. Not-for-profit. Evidence-based. Consumer-centred.

Improve the health of Australians.

Improve health through safe and wise use of medicines and other health technologies.

Established in 1998 with the primary aim of promoting quality use of medicines, today we have grown to connect with health consumers and health professionals nation-wide, changing attitudes and behaviours, and empowering all Australians to make the best possible healthcare decisions when they count.

Read more about 20 years of impact

NPS MedicineWise is committed to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

To help us deliver on that commitment, we have a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), endorsed by Reconciliation Australia. Our RAP outlines actions, responsibilities, targets and timelines across a range of themes for achieving our vision of reconciliation, and offers opportunities for everyone across NPS MedicineWise to get involved.

Our vision​ is to improve the health of Australians​.

Our mission​ is to improve health through safe and wise use of medicines and other health technologies​.

We add value​ as the steward of quality use of medicines: promoting safe and wise use of medicines; bridging gaps between evidence and practice; ​and enabling better decisions​.

We aim to:​

• Improve the use of medicines ​and other health technologies ​to optimise health outcomes ​for Australians​
• Improve health literacy​ of Australians​
• Reduce misuse of medicines ​and other health technologies​
• Improve the sustainability of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and Medical Benefits Scheme.​

Our focus over the next two years is to:

• Improve health outcomes for Australians
• Be a sustainable, high impact organisation

We will achieve this by focusing on five priorities:

1. Drive strong national stewardship of quality use of medicines

2. Target quality use of medicines where the need or opportunity is greatest

3. Optimise the use of health insights

4. Improve our accountability, effectiveness and efficiency

5. Strengthen our financial sustainability

Download the NPS MedicineWise organisational strategy here

NPS MedicineWise is the steward for quality use of medicines and medical tests (generally abbreviated as QUM) in Australia and delivers on the QUM objectives of Australia’s National Medicines Policy.

Ultimately, we seek to improve the health of Australians through the safe and wise use of medicines and health technologies by building the health literacy of Australians and improving use of medicines and other health technologies while contributing to the sustainability of our health system.

Improving quality use of medicines and medical tests

NPS MedicineWise is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health through the Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology Program to improve the way medicines and medical tests are prescribed and used (QUM grant).

NPS MedicineWise contributes to the implementation of the National Medicines Policy and the National Strategy for Quality Use of Medicines (NSQUM), by:

• Fostering cross sector collaboration and partnerships in respect of the quality use of medicines and diagnostics
• Collecting data and providing information about the quality use of medicines and diagnostics; and
• Raising awareness and educating health professionals and consumers about the quality use of medicines and diagnostics.

Our work is grounded in the principles of the National Strategy for Quality Use of Medicines, which are:

• Primacy of the consumer
• Partnership
• Consultative, collaborative, multi-disciplinary activity
• Support for existing activity; and
• System-based approaches.

Through the Commonwealth QUM grant we improve quality use of therapeutics, diagnostics and pathology for Australian consumers and health professionals, facilitate free access to information to support appropriate use of therapeutics, diagnostics and pathology; and support the effectiveness and efficiency of the health system.

We strive to achieve the following:

• Improved use of health technologies to optimise the health outcomes for Australians, through independent, evidence-based information and education
• Improved health literacy of Australians, through education of health professionals and consumer groups
• Reduced misuse of medicines and other health technologies; and

• Improved sustainability of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).

QUM Grant priorities 2020-22

All activities under our QUM grant ultimately aim to improve the health of Australians through the safe and wise use of medicines and other health technologies.

Leveraging cross-sector collaboration and partnerships, our priorities include the following:

• Create and distribute independent and timely evidence-based information, tools and resources for prescribers, dispensers and health consumers
• Deliver quality use of medicines interventions targeting areas of high need and government priorities
• Promote behaviour changes amongst prescribers, dispensers and health consumers that are consistent with quality use of medicines and diagnostics in a sustainable health care system
• Improve post market utilisation and surveillance data
• Publish independent evidence-based peer reviewed publications such as Australian Prescriber that enable health care professionals to be across the development and appropriate use of new and emerging health technologies relevant to the Australian health care system.

• Act as the national QUM steward
• Improve health literacy
• Reduce misuse of medicines and other health technologies
• Improve post-market surveillance, including through MedicineInsight, by capturing, storing and analysing data collected from general practices and specialist practices to inform how medicines are being used in the real world. Data collected is to support quality improvement activities, inform research and policy health questions.

Read more about our Grant funded activities and programs for 2020-21

Biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs)

NPS MedicineWise leads a consortium of health organisations funded under the Australian Government’s Value in Prescribing Program to collaboratively improve the use of bDMARDs, support specialist prescribers and help consumers get the most benefit from these complex medicines.

Read more about the consortium and our approach to supporting specialist prescribing of bDMARDs.

Immunoglobulin products

Under the Australian Government’s Value in Prescribing Program, NPS MedicineWise and a consortium of health organisations is working nationally to improve health outcomes for patients prescribed immunoglobulin products.

We are working with the National Blood Authority and a range of stakeholders to develop and deliver educational resources, tools and interventions to support clinicians in optimising the use of precious immunoglobulin products, as well educate consumers on these products.

Read more about how we are supporting the best use of precious immunoglobulin products.

We offer evidence-based solutions designed to improve health knowledge and decision making.

Our team of experts is specialised in structuring and co-designing programs and products to meet different health research, policy making, health system and primary care needs.

Read more about partnering with us