Prescribing and prescriptions management
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- Published: 02.06.10
- Updated: 09.07.10
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Inappropriate and unnecessary prescribing in general practice represents a potential safety hazard for patients and wastes NHS resources. Tackling these issues in medicine management will need to address what roles should be played by the new breed of primary care prescribers, including nurses, pharmacies and independent prescribers.
What did we explore?
To inform its work, the Inquiry panel commissioned a research project to examine what good-quality prescribing looks like in terms of patient care and cost effectiveness, and how it can best be measured. Prescribing and prescriptions management assesses what is known about the current quality of prescribing in general practice, including how quality varies from practice to practice. The paper’s authors are Martin Duerden, GP and Assistant Medical Director (primary care); Betsi Cadwaladr, University Health Board for North Wales; David Millson, RCGP Clinical Champion for prescribing; Tony Avery, Professor of Primary Health Care, University of Nottingham; and Sharon Smart, Director of Clinical Knowledge, Sowerby Centre for Health Informatics at Newcastle.
Leave us your comments below and read the research report when it is published later in the summer.
What have we learnt about prescribing?
In March 2010 the Inquiry held a seminar, kindly sponsored by First DataBank Europe, on prescribing with participants including GPs, practice nurses, NHS executives, health academics and patient representatives.
Key issues raised in discussion include:
- How can better use be made of prescribing data and IT to improve the quality and safety of prescribing?
- What are the appropriate roles for nurse, independent and other non-GP prescribers in primary care?
- To what extent should general practice take patient views on board and ensure that their choices have been explored at the time of prescribing?
What's your view?
We’d like to get your views on how important you think prescribing and prescriptions management is for good-quality care in general practice. What do you feel about the key issues that have been raised as a result of the work we have commissioned? Should improving good-quality prescribing be a priority? And do you think there are key points that have been overlooked in the debate? Your comments will help to inform the Inquiry’s final report.
Please share your views with us, and others, by leaving a comment below. However, if you’d prefer to comment privately please email gpinquiry@kingsfund.org.uk
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