Project Officer - Julie McLean-Murray
Ph: 8752 4905
National Prescribing Service (NPS) in profile
"The growth of medical literature is such that it is difficult, even within a restricted subspecialty, to keep abreast of all the research that is relevant to clinical practice…the rapid increase in available information has made the process of review itself much more demanding." (Henry & Wilson 1992)
NPS aims to support and assist prescribers to make the best prescribing decision by providing easily accessed evidence-based information about changes in our knowledge of therapeutics, objective feedback about actual prescribing practice and educational activities that integrate therapeutics with broader patient care. The focus is on quality rather than cost containment and all programs use evidence to address the relative merits of different medicines and other (non-drug) therapies. All services offered by the NPS are free of charge and available to all medical practitioners irrespective of the accreditation status of their practice.
The National Prescribing Service is an independent incorporated organisation providing leadership and coordination for quality prescribing. NPS was launched in March 1998 with the aim to 'improve Australian health outcomes through the quality use of medicines'. General Practitioners, community and hospital pharmacists, allied health and medical professionals, consumers and community organisations as well as Aboriginal Health workers were consulted during the development of the service.
Highest priorities identified by general practitioners and other medical prescribers were:
- Provide consistent, independent and objective information about medicines for prescribers
- Sharpen the focus on quality prescribing in all medical education and training programs
- Explore incentives for high quality prescribing within medical practices and for removing barriers and disincentives to high quality prescribing
- Develop academic detailing programs
- Develop a National Medicines Information Phone-line Network
In addressing these identified priorities, NPS has initiated the regular production of editorials such as Australian Prescriber, NPS News, Pharmacy Letter and RADAR which provide current 'Independent, balanced, evidenced-based information about medicines' and are available on-line and in hard copy (Australian Prescriber; RADAR)and initiated the development of a national medicines information telephone line has resulted in the formation of the NPS Therapeutic Advice and Information Service (TAIS).
Additionally, NPS has pioneered practice visits (also called: educational visiting/academic detailing/outreach visits). This service is provided by NPS Facilitators to General Practitioners and other Health professionals, using the format of NPS Facilitator 1:1 visits, small group case studies and clinical audits in specific therapeutic topics. Educational visiting is a well-established and evaluated intervention and the focus of practice visits is to provide information that will improve knowledge and patient care rather than focussing on what not to do - NPS Facilitators have no regulatory role.
Topics offered by NPS Facilitators since the inception in 1998 of NPS Academic Detailing have included:
- H.Pylori eradication
- Antibiotic use in URTIs
- COPD
- COX-2 selective NSAIDs
- Asthma
- Optimisation of Proton Pump Inhibitors
NPS topics for delivery are chosen following feedback from GPs, potential for improved patient outcomes, existence of better practice evidence and introduction of new drugs or other effective non-drug therapies.
The National
Prescribing Service Program commenced within Central Sydney Division of
General Practice (CSDGP) in August 2001. Enhancement of the existing outreach
program is planned to be achieved by implementing a range of measures
during 2004-05.
CSDGP NPS Facilitator Julie McLean-Murray will be visiting on antithrombotics
from November and if you would like the opportunity to receive unbiased,
peer reviewed, recent information and a summary of the current consensus
management guidelines in the use of antithrombotics please contact her
on 8752 4905.
1 Henry D & Wilson A (1992) GENERAL PRACTICE: Principles behind practice
NPS ACTIVITITES WITHIN CSDGP
Visits generally take between twenty to thirty minutes with the Division's facilitator visiting the doctor in their own practice. Two to three different therapeutic topics are offered during any year and usually co-inside with the NPS Case Studies published in Australian Prescriber and/or the NPS clinical audits.
Practice Visits are recognised under the Practice Incentive Programme (PIP). One visit counts for one activity. If you are not registered for PIP, you may still find a visit useful for your own understanding of the latest objective information on therapeutics and prescribing. Contact Julie McLean-Murray .
PRESCRIBING PRACTICE REVIEW (PPR)
Mailed to all GP's and some specialists, the PPR provides evidence based information and prescribing data to enable doctors to review their own prescribing. Prescribing data is not accessible by any other organisation or individual and are not used for regulatory purposes.
CASE STUDIES AND CLINICAL AUDITS
NPS Case Study
NPS News is distributed bimonthly with Australian Prescriber and provides general information on therapeutics. Look for case studies inserted in NPS News. Case studies can be completed individually or used in group activities and CPD events within divisions of general practice. Case study's are are released in Australian Prescriber magazine, which is free to all GP's. Case study's are an eligible activity for your practice for the Quality Prescribing Initiative (QPI) of the Practice Incentives Programme.
Clinical audits are approved by the RACGP for eligibility for Quality Assurance and Continuing Professional Development Points.
Does the lack of information about new medicines frustrate you? Ever wondered
why some medicines on the PBS have restrictions which limit the types
of patients for whom they can be prescribed?
Introducing RADAR-the Rational Assessment of Drugs And Research-a new
online service from NPS (National Prescribing Service). RADAR will provide
information about new medicines and changes to PBS listings that are important
to GPs, pharmacists and other health professionals involved in primary
care management of patients. Additionally, when new clinical research
is published that will strongly influence how your patients' health is
managed, RADAR will offer commentaries on what that research means to
you and your patients.
The full version of NPS RADAR will only be available online. To receive your free regular e-mail updates simply and efficiently register your details at www.npsradar.org.au.
Further information and NPS services are available at www.nps.org.au.