National Prescribing Service (NPS)
Overview
The National Prescribing Service provides independent evidence-based information, services and resources to health professionals and the community on Quality Use of Medicines (QUM). NPS is independent of the government and the pharmaceutical industry. NPS is a non-profit organisation funded by the Department of Health and Ageing.
Quality Prescribing Initiative (QPI)
The QPI is one of the initiatives of the Practice Incentives Program (PIP). The program recognises and rewards general practices that provide comprehensive, quality care and are either accredited or working towards accreditation. The QPI/PIP payment is paid to practices for completion of activities that contribute to quality care including prescribing. Participating practices are entitled to $1.00 per standardised whole patient equivalent (SWPE) or around $1,000.00 per full time equivalent GP.
The level of participation in NPS activities is determined by Medicare Australia following practice registration. If you would like more information on how the QPI can work for your practice, contact Medicare on 1800 222 032. The QPI/PIP participation activities for each PIP cycle (1st May to 30th April) include:
- Educational visits/small groups
- Clinical Audits
- Case Studies
On average three activities must be completed each PIP cycle per FTE GP. One in every three activities must be a clinical audit, and the other two may include educational visits or case studies (it is optional to choose one of each or two of the same activity). It is not necessary for each GP within the practice to participate. At least one or more GPs will need to complete the total number of activities listed on the Medicare PIP statement within the PIP cycle in order to receive the practice incentive payment.
NPS send all practices a Planner (current planner available here - ends April 2010) to map out QPI activities that the practice is required to participate in for the PIP cycle. GPs can participate in educational activities even if they choose not to register with Medicare for the QPI/PIP payment.
Education Visits/Small Group Discussions
The Divisions Quality Use of Medicines Facilitator will provide one on one educational visits with GPs, Pharmacists and practice and pharmacy staff to allow the effective delivery of key messages for the current NPS topic. During the visit the facilitator can discuss how current evidence on a specific therapeutic topic translates into quality use of medicines for your patients.
Current Division Topic
Management options to maximise sleep
The Division QUM facilitator, Jane Donnelly, is finalsing visits on the Therapeutic choices for menopausal symptoms and will begin visiting general practice to discuss up-to-date, indepedent, evidence based information on sleep difficulty:
- Explore patient concerns with sleep difficulties – identify and address causes
- Offer behavioural and cognitive therapies for insomnia
- Discuss and specify the duration of hypnotic medicines use
- Trial discontinuation of hypnotic medicines in long-term use
- Minimise potential harms of hypnotic medicines by engaging patient/carers in managing sleep difficulties
Case Studies
Case studies present a clinical scenario accompanied by a set of questions that are designed to help participants refine their clinical decision making skills. All participants will receive a feedback report that includes expert commentaries on the case study along with aggregated responses which provide a snapshot of your colleagues responses. The expert commentaries are usually provided by a specialist physician and a GP with a special interest in the area. GPs can complete case studies online or alternatively you can use the printed version of the case study that has been inserted within NPS News.
Clinical Audits
Clinical audits are provided free of charge to GPs. They can be completed individually or used in group activities and workshops. All participants receive a personalised feedback report and certificate of completion as well as receive RACGP or ACRRM points. NPS clinical audits are released three to four times a year. Enrolment forms are mailed directly to all GPs as an insert in Prescribing Practice Review. View current clinical audit
Additional NPS Services
Therapeutic Advice and Information Service (TAIS)
TAIS is a national telephone service for general practitioners, community pharmacists and other health professionals. The service provides immediate access to evidence-based independent drug and therapeutic information such as:
- information on new drugs
- interactions with other drugs, food or complementary medicines
- side effects
- safety of drugs in pregnancy and lactation
You can phone TAIS on 1300 138 6577 or visit their web site for additional information. Also available is the online form for enquiries for non urgent matters.
Rational Assessment of Drugs and Research (RADAR)
NPS RADAR provides timely, independent, evidence-based information on new drugs, research and PBS listings. NPS RADAR is published three times per year, in line with major updates to the Schedule of Pharmaceutical Benefits. It will be available around the time when new medicines can be prescribed or dispensed, subscribe for your free NPS RADAR email alert.
NPS Health Promotion Campaigns
NPS currently have three campaigns running:
- Common Colds Need Common Sense
- Generic Medicines are an Equal Choice
- Get to know your medicines — Multilingual resources