Quality Use Of Medicines
The Associations Quality Use of Medicines program has 3 main programs:
-
Delivery of National Prescribing Service (NPS) educational updates on prescribing topics to members in their practices, at their convenience. Practices need not be accredited to participate however if they are this program attracts the Quality Prescribing Initiative (QPI) Practice Incentives Payment (PIP) of $1 per Standardised Whole Patient Equivalent (SWPE). This is normally about $1000 per full time GP. Additionally GPs who are involved will qualify for RACGP CPD points and some activities may be used for practices as a part of their accreditation.
Ways to participate:
Individual Practice Visits for GPs
Case Studies
Clinical Audits (2 Per Year)
Group case study visits for GP's (these may qualify for RACGP CPD Points)
To be eligible for the PIP:
One Clinical Audit (three audits are offered by the NPS per year and some can be done on line) the clinical audit component is mandatory. Two other acitivites - this can be either a combination of practice visit + case study or two of the same. -
A Home Medicines Review program, encouraging and facilitating the use of Medicare item no. 900. This gives the GP the ability to send an especially qualified pharmacist to their patients home who will provide a report that features what medications the patient is actually using, how they are being used and stored and any perceived problems encountered (doses, interactions etc.) with recommendations for consideration. The GP can then discuss with the patient the findings of the report in a consultation held for the purpose of maximising medication management issues.
-
Liaison and research projects. Currently this includes an electronic prescribing project (Dand e-script), promotion of completed research on a better pharmacy labeling system and working with the Associations aged care panel.
Refer to the resources section for useful links click here